EchoClan
by Ryuchie
Summary: Ravenpaw is visited by Bluestar one night in a dream and is told he must lead a new Clan. The Clan will consist of rogues and loners so all cats can be saved from the Twolegs. Meanwhile, a rogue named Sible has a destiny that will affect many.
1. Allegiance

A L L E G I A N C E S

E C H O C L A N

**_Leader_**

Ravenstar - sleek black cat with a white-tipped tail

_Apprentice, Mintpaw_

**_Deputy_**

Barley - black and white tom with green eyes

**_Medicine Cat_**

Flowerheart – Light brown she-cat with one black and one white ear

_Apprentice, Shinepaw_

**_Warriors_**

_(all formerly rouges/loners)_

Morningtooth – brown she-cat with a upper over-bite and amber eyes

_Apprentice, Mistypaw_

Owlclaw – brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Hollowtail – tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Honeypaw_

Cinderheart – gray tom with blue eyes

Dreampool – golden she-cat with black stripes and green eyes

_Apprentice, Dawnpaw_

Blackwind – black tom with green eyes

Marshclaw – light ginger tom with green eyes

Whitefur – white tom with silver-blue eyes

Badgerpelt – black and white tom with blue eyes

_Apprentice, Mosspaw_

Hawkfeather – brown tom with a white muzzle and amber eyes

**_Apprentices_**

Mintpaw – blue-gray she-cat with light blue eyes Mosspaw – light gray tom with a white underbelly and silver eyes

Honeypaw – golden she-cat with amber eyes

Dawnpaw – dark golden she-cat with brown eyes

Shinepaw – white and ginger she-cat with green eyes

Mistypaw – gray and white she-cat with light blue eyes

**_Queens_**

Goldenwing – light ginger she-cat with a white striped tail and green eyes

Brittlestep – light gray she-cat (with darker flecks) and dark blue eyes

Sunstream – bright ginger she-cat with amber eyes

**_Elders_ **

Kelsha – pale ginger she-cat (refused to take a warrior name)


	2. Prologue

P R O L O G U E

"Ravenpaw," the voices were whispering. The black-pelted loner stood alone in the darkness swiveling around trying to find out where he was.

"I'm here," he yowled, trying not to panic. Suddenly the black background changed around him and he was standing at Fourtrees. _But Firestar told me Fourtrees was destroyed by Twolegs! _Ravenpaw thought frantically and then realized he must be dreaming. He didn't want to ruin the now-peaceful illusion so he planted himself in front of the Great Rock. A familiar scent flooded his nose, one he would never forget.

"Bluestar?" he meowed, searching for his old leader. The scent drew in closer, until Bluestar was standing in front of him, a fox-length away.

"Ravenpaw," the former ThunderClan leader purred, "you look well."

Ravenpaw nodded and stared wonderingly at Bluestar. She had died when the dog pack had attacked, so this meant only one thing. It was a dream from _StarClan_. Ravenpaw didn't dare to speak and stared at Bluestar, his eyes gleaming.

"You and Barley must leave the barn," she meowed, serious now, "and find someplace safe." Ravenpaw gaped at her.

"What do you mean 'someplace safe'?" he meowed in disbelief, "The barn is full of mice and its very safe there." Bluestar flicked her tail irritably, but continued as calmly as she could manage. "Firestar has already told you that the Twolegs were destroying the forest when the four Clans left. And the Twolegs are drawing in farther than we thought; they're heading for the barn, and Highstones itself. Ravenpaw's eyes clouded with worry. _Leave the barn? _He thought miserably. He'd lived in the barn for so many moons that if he'd left he would feel just as bad as when he left ThunderClan.

Bluestar started to fade and Ravenpaw let out a startled yowl, trying to pull the StarClan warrior back to him.

"Bluestar!" he cried, "Don't go, I don't know when to leave…at sunhigh?"

Bluestar shook her head, her words were just an echo, "The time will come when I shall return, do not flee yet."

Ravenpaw's eyes shot open and his claws dug into the ground. His heart beating like a humming birds wings, he dragged himself over to Barley. He pushed a paw into the black and white loners flank.

"B-barley?" Ravenpaw meowed hesitantly, Barley hated to be woken.

"Hmmm…" Barley grumbled sleepily, raising his head. Ravenpaw didn't know where to start, but suddenly heard himself blurting out, "I've had a dream from StarClan!"

Barley started at Ravenpaw in surprise, his green eyes growing wide.


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sible leaped onto the leaf falling from a tree branch. She purred as she caught it neatly between her paws.

"Got you!" she mewed as she rolled around with the pretty colored leaf.

"Won't you ever grow up?" Lesier, her sister, purred. Sible stared at her sister with a mocking look on her face. "Won't _you_ ever grow up?" she challenged, pointing her tail in the direction of Lesier's paws, where she was batting a freshly killed mouse back and fourth. The gray tabby she-cat snorted and went back to playing with her prey.

"Are you going to eat that or what?" Sible meowed finally, "I'm starved!" Lesier glanced up and then looked back down at her mouse.  
"Oh," she murmured, "here." Lesier tossed the prey up with her paw and Sible caught it in the air, just like the leaf. Sible tore in hungrily to the tiny mouse and then glanced at her sister.

"Are you hungry, Lesier?" she asked. Lesier shook her head and started rolling around in the freshly fallen leaves to ease her boredom. After finishing her mouse, Sible stood up and started wandering out into the forest.

"Where are you going?" Her sister called to her from where she was lying in a patch of leaves. Sible rolled her eyes, _She's __**so**__ over protective, _she thought. Sible inclined her head in the direction of more trees and Lesier stood up and started padding after her. Sible knew Lesier was edgy about traveling through the forest, because among these same trees is where their father got captured long ago. As if reading her thoughts, Lesier stopped walking.

"Maybe we should go back to the river," she meowed hesitantly, Lesier also hated admitting signs of weakness.

"Why?" Sible countered, it was not always when Lesier would talk about their father. Maybe she would bring him up now, Sible was always itching for more information. She looked back to find her sisters pelt bristling.

"You know perfectly well '_why_'_,_" Lesier spat, suddenly furious, "Maybe if you were there when Tawe got captured, you'd understand better!" The gray tabby flicked around and stomped back to the river muttering '_why_' under her breath.

"Lesier, wait!" Sible cried and bounded after her. Lesier ignored the golden she-cat completely and lay next to the river. Talking to Lesier was out, and, apparently, so was hunting. With her sisters loud stomping, all the prey would be scared enough to hide in the Twoleg nests!

Sible padded closer to the river and jumped over it, so her shadow faced behind her. While scanning the water for fish, Sible saw Lesier hop over it and lay about two fox lengths away from her. _She must be moving her shadow too, so I can hunt_. She inwardly thanked her sister and continued on her hunt. After no fish appeared for a while, Sible groaned. Lesiers stomping _did_ scare away the prey. Suddenly, a gray flash flew by Sible, and her paw struck out.

Quicker than a lightning bolt, Sible grasped her claws around the scaly body and flung it out of the river. The fish flopped madly on the ground, trying to find its way back to the water. Sible stared sadly at the poor thing and killed it with a swift blow. She carried the limp fish to her sister and dropped it at her paws. Lesier stared at the fish, muttered her thanks, and began to chew hungrily into it.

"I'm sorry, you know—" Sible began, but Lesier cut her off.

"I know, me too, I just don't like the subject of Tawe." She sighed. Sible nodded and sat and waited for her sister to finish her fresh-kill. Lesier sat up and slumped her shoulders, "Sorry I yowled," she meowed as she shuffled her paws.

"That's okay!" Sible purred a cuffed her sister over the ear with sheathed claws.

For the rest of the day Sible stayed in the woods, but always in eyeshot of Lesier. By sunset, she caught four mice and three fish. This could last them two sun highs. Sible dragged herself over to where her sister lay by the water and nudged her with a paw.

"I'm going to sleep," she yawned. She walked over to the tree closest to the river and crawled into the burrow under its roots. In the den were three moss-lined nests, and Sible sighed when she looked at the middle one.

"Oh mother," she whispered, "Are you coming back?" Lesier pushed her way through the roots, dragging in Sible's catch for the day. Once she put the fresh-kill in a neat pile, she lay down in her nest and was almost asleep at once. Sible went to the middle nest and sniffed it carefully. There was still the slightest trace of her mothers scent. She breathed it in heavily and padded over to her own nest and fell asleep with her mother's sweet scent still in her nose.

"_Lesier?" Sible called out, searching for her sister. She was standing by the river, many fish flowing past her. She called her sisters name again before bounding into the forest. _

"_Lesier, where are you?" Sible yowled. She saw the gray tabby leap out of the trees. _

"_What are you doing here?" Sible was shocked, Lesier hated the forest. Her sister purred loudly and signaled with her tail for Sible to follow. Lesier ran through the forest, going farther and farther, until she came to a dead stop. Sible gaped at the scene in front of her. _

"_Father?" She mewed. A big golden tom with gray paws was sitting in the middle of a leafy clearing. The tom nodded. Tawe._

_Lesier bounded up to her father, leaving Sible alone. Tawe and Lesier mewed to each other excitedly. Sible had never met her father, and when he signaled for her to come over to them, she stayed where she was. A dark shape was lurking behind her sister and father. Her eyes strained to see, and she practically jumped out of her fur when a Twoleg appeared from the shadows, a wire nest-looking thing in his paws. Sible knew what would happen next. _

"_Lesier, Tawe!" She yowled desperately, "Run!" Her kin stared back at her with worried looks on both their faces. They turned their heads slowly and then their gaze snapped back to Sible. It was like they were one. They sprinted at exactly the same time, keeping exactly the same pace. But their run was over before it started. _

_Sible looked back to see the Twoleg shove her father into the wire nest. It grabbed Lesier painfully by the scruff of her neck and Sible yowled in outrage.  
"Sible!" Lesier screeched, "Save me! Save Tawe!" _

"_Lesier!" Sible cried after her sister as she was dragged away by the horrible Twoleg. The lands stretched far beyond, and Sible could no longer see her sister. _

"_Lesier…" she whispered as her face plummeted towards the ground. _

Sible woke, leaping to her paws. And yowled in surprise as she saw the shape of a cat in her den. She stood in front of the still sleeping Lesier protectively.

"No need to fear, little one." A gentle voice crooned. As if on signal, moonlight seeped through the roots and made the other cats fur glow.

"Mother!" Sible cried.


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Barley stared at Ravenpaw for what seemed like moons. Ravenpaw started to shuffle his paws nervously, wondering what Barley was thinking.  
"Well?" Ravenpaw asked finally, staring at his paws. Barley continued to stare at him for a moment and then meowed, "That was unexpected," Ravenpaw rolled his eyes, was that _all_ his friend had to say? Before Ravenpaw could speak, Barley silenced him with his tail.

"Why would StarClan send _you_ a dream?" the black and white tom asked. Ravenpaw wasn't sure if he was supposed to tell Barley about the message, but Bluestar hadn't said he couldn't.

"Bluestar said we had to leave the forest…the Twolegs are coming to tear down the barn…"

Barley gaped at him, just as he had done to Bluestar, then he shook his head.  
"We can't leave the barn Ravenpaw," he meowed, "I've been here for so many moons, I don't know what I'd do."

Ravenpaw sighed. This was going to be just as hard for him, too.

"Look Barley," Ravenpaw meowed, "We don't have to leave _yet_. Bluestar just said that she'd come back, that doesn't necessarily mean tomorrow or something…right?"

Barley huffed and lay down again. He curled his tail over his nose and twitched his ear signaling he didn't want to be bothered anymore. Ravenpaw had fear pulsing through his veins, so he didn't try to sleep. He sniffed around at the hay, looking for a mouse. He leaped, smelling it right below him, and it slid out from under his paws.  
"Mousedung!" he muttered, and stalked to the next pile of hay. He smelled mouse again, with the barn being so warm and cozy, it was almost too easy to get prey there. Ravenpaw darted to where he thought the mouse would be and unsheathed his claws. Without removing the mouse from the hay, he killed it with a blow of his paw.

Just as Ravenpaw was about to bite into his mouse, dark thoughts drowned in his mind. He was lying in ThunderClan camp, Spottedleaf pressing cobwebs into his wounds. A sharp claw prodded into his side. He flinched slightly, ebbing away from the pain.

"Go on, get up!" the dreaded voice sneered.

Ravenpaw gasped; the vision faded away. Fresh-kill forgotten, he got up and padded out of the barn. Thunder cracked over-head and rain suddenly started pouring heavily. Ravenpaw was drenched only a few moments after he'd been outside. He flattened his ears angrily and stalked into the long grass.

The loner halted. Smelling fresh cat-scent in the breeze. He crouched down, and scanned the grass. His vision blurred as a large raindrop landed on his forehead and streamed down into his eyes. Ravenpaw shook his head irritably and continued searching for the cat. It was getting closer, and Ravenpaw tensed. His fur bristled as a dark cat leaped from the bushes. In less than a heartbeat Ravenpaw was bowled over. Hissing, he leaped to his paws and clawed at the enemies' muzzle. The cat yowled furiously and left a huge gash on Ravenpaw's shoulder. But the black loner wasn't going to give up that easily. Ravenpaw jumped up and landed neatly on the dark cats back. After leaving an exceptional amount of claw marks on the enemies' body, he jumped off and confronted the cat. Both were panting, and Ravenpaw looked at the enemy cat for the first time. It was a gray tom with dark blue eyes. Unexpectedly, the tom backed away. It turned tail and fled as Ravenpaw bared his teeth.

Bleeding little from the battle, Ravenpaw padded back to the barn. Barley was up by the time Ravenpaw got back, and looked at him questioningly as a small drop of blood oozed from a cut on his forehead.

"It's nothing," Ravenpaw muttered, waving his tail.

"_Nothing _can't scratch you. What happened?" Barley meowed. Ravenpaw sighed and told him the non-important story of the rogue. Barley narrowed his eyes and muttered, "No rogue will attack one of us and get away with it…"

**XXX**

Two moons had passed and there was no sign of the rogue. Barley stalked around outside daily, daring the tom to come back. After eating his fresh-kill for the morning, Ravenpaw stood up and walked out of the barn. He let the sun warm his fur, and walked along the barn. The wind ruffled his pelt and fear-scent filled his nose.  
_Barley! _Ravenpaw thought suddenly.

The loner pelted along the grass, searching for his friend. He spotted him fighting two rogues. One was the same gray tom, but the other was a tortoiseshell she-cat. The tom was battling Barley, while the she-cat bit at him from behind. Ravenpaw unsheathed his claws and leaped into the battle. He jumped on the tom and pinned him down.  
"I thought I taught you your lesson last time!" He snarled. The rogue yowled in fury as Ravenpaw dug his claws into his exposed belly. Ravenpaw glanced over his shoulder to see that Barley was doing fine and then whipped his head back to face the tom. He bit down into the rogue's neck; almost enough to kill him, but Ravenpaw wasn't cold-hearted.

Once he thought the rogue had had enough, he leaped off him and stood next to Barley. The tortoiseshell was panting on the ground, bleeding heavily. The tom nudged her to her paws and they growled in the direction of Ravenpaw and Barley. The she-cat stumbled and fell to the ground again, spraying dust in all directions. Ravenpaw narrowed his eyes at the rogues. The tom didn't try and make her stand up this time. He just dragged her away.

Ravenpaw ran back to the barn, and grumbled to himself the whole way.

_Maybe we should leave now,_ he thought angrily, _so we don't have any more trouble with filthy rogues!_

Barley padded in a few moments later, ears twitching irritably. They both settled in their nests and fell asleep quickly.

**XXX**

Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched while he slept. He was dreaming. Once again, Ravenpaw found himself at Fourtrees. He was in front of the Great Rock again. He looked around for Bluestar, and noticed her padding out of the trees toward him. But two other cats were with her. Lionheart and Spottedleaf. Ravenpaw purred happily. It had been long since he'd seen the three ThunderClan cats all together. All of the cats sat in front of Ravenpaw and stared at him. He began to shuffle his paws nervously.

"Ravenpaw," Bluestar finally spoke. "The time has come, and you shall leave at sun-high," there was great wisdom in her voice, though she looked sad.

"W-what about Barley?" Ravenpaw asked hesitantly. Bluestar twitched her whiskers in amusement.  
"He will go with you, of course. Your wisest choice is to find sun-drown-place." The former ThunderClan leader meowed.

"Sun-drown-place!" Ravenpaw breathed, "Bluestar, I don't know if I'll be able to find it!"

"When you told Graystripe and Millie, they made it on just your word alone." She meowed. Ravenpaw let out a sigh of relief. _So they have made it._

"You will lead a Clan Ravenpaw," Bluestar mewed, and before Ravenpaw could speak, Lionheart cut him off with a flick of his tail.

"Rogues and loners will become one," Spottedleaf whispered.

"And a new Clan shall be formed," Lionheart added.

"What?" Ravenpaw asked, wondering if he'd heard them right.  
"Rogues and loners will become one, and a new Clan shall be formed." Bluestar whispered. All the StarClan warriors began to fade, those words just and echo in the wind.

Ravenpaw knew what he had to do. _He _had to lead a Clan. He listened for the faint echoing prophecy.

EchoClan.

_**Sorry it took so long for me to update, and that my chapters have been so short! I've been busy with school and other things. Please R&R! Oh and I've changed Cinderhearts name to Cinderfoot, because I felt stupid for using an actual name from one of the books. (I made the allegiance before I read Eclipse) :x**_


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sible ran to her mother, purring uncontrollably. It was almost too good to be true.

"Sible," she heard an irritated voice, "Get _off _me!" Her eyes flew open; her mother was no longer there. She felt a paw shoving her over. Sible looked over and saw Lesier getting to her paws.

_It __**was **__to good to be true._

"Really, Sible," Lesier growled, "I don't know what's gotten into you." Sible watched her sister grab a mouse from the pile in the den and pad out. She sighed and laid her head on her paws. _It was like she was really there, _Sible thought sadly. Suddenly, Lesier's head popped back in from the entrance to their den.

"Sible!" she yowled, "Come look at this!" Lesier disappeared from the entrance once more. The golden she-cat stood up and yawned, then slowly walked out of the den.

_It can't be anything __**too**__ important, _Sible thought, _Lesier is always exaggerating._

When Sible was out in the sunlight, she saw her sister next to the river, staring hungrily into it.

"Look!" Lesier called to Sible.

She padded over to the river and gasped. All the fish were together, on only one side of the river!

"What happened?" she meowed. But Lesier ignored the question and continued hooking the fish with her claws. Sible joined her sister, but it seemed that the fish didn't care. They all swarmed around each other, terrified of something _other_ than the cats. Sible turned her head and stared into the trees. She heard a low rumbling sound, and soon she could feel the ground shaking.

"Lesier…" Sible murmured. Lesier twitched her tail in confusion, and stared into the trees with Sible. Both she-cats narrowed their eyes as harsh winds blew around them. Soon, the smell of monsters was clear in the air.

"Run!" Sible yowled, and both cats took off into the opposite side of the trees. Sible had a fish in her jaws that she'd just caught before they started running.

_If we have to leave, then at least we'll have some fresh-kill. _Sible looked behind her to see Twoleg monsters in her territory and stifled a snarl. They were ripping up trees! Sible heard Lesier gasp as she took in what was happening to _their_ forest.

It seemed like they were running for moons, at the pace they were going. Neither cat stopped until the sun was highest in the sky. Lesiers bound slowed to a walk; they were out of their forest. Sible's fish still felt slimy in her jaws and she spit it out, pawing it over to Lesier.

"No, I…already…ate" her sister panted, staring around at where she was. They were in front of some sort of fence. And on the other side, there seemed to be big puffy clouds on legs. (A/N: No, this is **not** the same farm where the four Clans crossed.) When the 'clouds' swiveled around and turned their small black eyes on the two she-cats, they made an, odd, bleating sound. Sible flattened her ears.

"Do you think they'll… hurt us?" She asked her sister, flanks still heaving.

Lesier shrugged her shoulders and swerved her way through the fence. All the cloud things looked at her but did nothing, and as she walked along the line of the mysterious animals, they simply moved out of her way. Lesier flicked her tail, signaling for her sister to follow.

Sible ran through, after her sister. She stared at the cloud-like animals and flattened her ears again. A large, bright red Twoleg nest was at the far end of the land. As Sible looked at it, she let out a low growl. Lesier pretended not to hear.

When they got to the end of the clearing, they walked under the other side of the fence and stared around. On one side, was the Twoleg nest, and on the other, was another forest. Sible's eyes widened.

"Should we check there?" she asked nervously. Lesier nodded and started bounding towards the trees. When Sible and her sister reached the new trees, she sniffed around. All she could smell were the natural scents of the forest. Lesier started padding through the trees, sniffing a tree at time to time. Sible walked nervously behind her.

After walking a while, they found a small clearing with a pond over to the side.

"We could stay here for a while…" Lesier thought out loud. Sible nodded eagerly at her sister, and then her stomach went hollow.

"Lesier," she whispered sadly, "What about Mother?" the golden she-cat watched her sisters eyes glaze with worry, and after a moment they cleared.

"Saphira will find us if she truly is searching, Sible." Lesier murmured quietly, "Nothing can keep her away forever."

Sible watched her sister stare at the first stars of the night. Was she thinking of Tawe?

Suddenly, Lesier jerked her head around, pelt bristling with alarm. Just seeing Lesier like this made Sible bristle, too. She followed her sister's gaze, and both pelts lay flat again. It was only a squirrel, chewing on an acorn—it clearly took no notice of them.

"Bet you I can catch it," Sible teased, lowering down in a hunting crouch.

"I don't think you've ever caught a squirrel in your _life_, Sible." Lesier shot back. Sible narrowed her eyes, she _could_ catch it, and she would prove to her sister she wasn't just some kit. Infact, she wasn't a kit at all. The golden she-cat streaked across the ground, to the other side of the small clearing. The squirrel obliviously chewed on its acorn. The winds were blowing towards her, and Sible stifled a purr. She crept lower, aware of her sister's eyes on her.

She shot forward, and the squirrel dropped the acorn. As it tried to flee, Sible's claws scratched down its shoulder. Blood welled up from the squirrel and it shot off, leaving behind a very disappointed Sible. She drooped her head as she walked back towards Lesier.

"It'll be dead by sun-high," she muttered and walked past the gray tabby.

"Yep," Lesier purred mockingly, "and _then_ you can catch it!"

Sible's head flew back towards her sister and she narrowed her eyes playfully. Lesier let out a _mrrow_ of laughter and bounded across to the nearest tree, climbed it, and sat on a low branch.

"I'm sleeping up here if you even _think_ about messing up my fur!" Lesier purred, "I just washed it!"

Sible rolled her eyes and sat under the tree her sister was in.

"Well then I'm sleeping here!" She yowled back and made herself a nest of grass.

**XXX**

The scents of fresh-kill woke Sible, and a freshly killed squirrel was lying in front of her. She growled quietly as she noticed its shoulder. There was a claw mark down it, and a small amount of blood bubbled up. But this wasn't the same squirrel.

"Lesier!" She yowled in mock-anger. She saw her sisters gray tabby head pop out of the bushes next to her and saw another squirrel in her jaws. Lesier set down the squirrel.

"It was just a joke!" She mewed innocently. Sible bounded toward her sister and bowled her over. The two play-faught until they were both out of breath.

"It…was just…a joke," Lesier panted laying her head on her paws. Sible cuffed her sister's ear with her paw.

"A joke?" she purred, "Oh." Sible stifled a _mrrow_ of laughter as her sister stared at her curiously.

"You know, Sible," Lesier mewed happily, "Sometimes I wonder about you."

* * *

_**Gah! Sorry it's so short, I just have a bad case of writers block! But I do know what I'm going to do with the next chapter, though. So that should be up very soon. :]**_

_**xRyuchie**_


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ravenpaw didn't try to sleep when he woke up that night. He glanced out of the hole in the barn. It was still pitch-black outside. The dream kept running through his mind and he sighed. How was _he_ supposed to lead a Clan? He hadn't even become a warrior yet when he'd left!

"Coward," he muttered to himself, "I should have been the one to fight Tigerstar. Not Scourge."

Ravenpaw stood up and yawned. He slowly walked over to one of the hay piles and sniffed around.

A thought flooded his mind.

"Bluestar!" he hissed, "If they've already destroyed Mothermouth, then how can I become a leader?"

To Ravenpaw's complete surprise, Bluestar was suddenly sitting on top of the haystack he was in front of.

"Don't be silly, Ravenpaw," she meowed, "If you remember my first visit to you, I said the Twolegs were _heading_ towards Mothermouth." Bluestar looked at him with starry eyes.

"Oh," Ravenpaw felt mouse-brained, but dipped his head, "I remember now. Thank you."

Bluestar nodded and started to fade.

"Wait!" he whispered, still consciously aware Barley was sleeping. "How can I lead a Clan? I've got no knowledge of that, and if the prophecy says '_rouges and loners will become one_' how will I possibly join together all those cats?"

The starry warrior padded down the haystack and touched her nose to Ravenpaw's.

"You will find a way," she purred softly, "I know you will."

**XXX**

Ravenpaw was outside the barn, watching the sun creep its way over the horizon.

"You're up early," Barley made his way out of the barn and sat a fox-length from Ravenpaw.

"Bluestar came to me last night," Ravenpaw meowed casually. He heard Barley sigh.

"Do we join ThunderClan?" he asked hopefully.

"I shall lead my own Clan." Ravenpaw mewed, his heartbeats increasing by every word.

Barley's eyes grew huge as he turned his head towards Ravenpaw.

"What?" He gasped, "B-but that's not possible is it?"

Ravenpaw slumped his shoulders, "There's a new prophecy," he sighed. Barley waved his tail, signaling for Ravenpaw to continue.

The sleek black tom gulped as he said the new prophecy out loud for the first time: "Rogues and loners will become one, and a new Clan shall be formed."

They were both silent for a long time.

"Am I not included?" Barley fretted. Ravenpaw let out a _mrrow_ of laughter.

"Of course you are, you mouse-brain!" the black tom purred. "We must find the Four Clans, but there will soon be _five_ over the mountains. Graystripe and Millie made it." He added.

Barley nodded, "So you will be leader." He mewed.

Ravenpaw's heart lurched. "I guess so," he meowed unsteadily, "But if I do get granted nine lives, I wish you to be my deputy."

Barley dipped his head, his eyes gleaming with happiness, "I would be honored."

**XXX**

The sun still wasn't up. Just a few more moments.  
"Almost sunhigh," Barley sighed. Ravenpaw knew this was hurting Barley the most. His friend had lived in the barn ever since he left BloodClan.

Ravenpaw knew he was forgetting something, though he owned practically nothing. Still, he scurried around the barn frantically, searching the hay for anything he may have forgotten. He was on his way to the last haystack when he noticed a hole in one of the piles. He sauntered over to it and looked in. There was a small holed shape, with a blue-shaded rock in the middle.

_Mothermouth!_ He almost jumped out of his fur. How could he have forgotten?

"Bluestar!" he yowled miserably, and ignoring Barley when he looked over worriedly at his friend.

Suddenly, Ravenpaw slipped into a wave of unconsciousness.

It seemed like the whole of StarClan were with him. He noticed Bluestar dip her head apologetically.

"I realize this isn't the normal routine," she mewed, "But while the sun was still rising, the Twolegs were closer to Highstones than was comfortable. I didn't trust that you were in there, they could destroy it at any moment." Deep sadness was in her voice as she finished.

Ravenpaw stared at his old leader with sad eyes. Had he forgotten because StarClan _made_ him?

For the first time, he stared around at his surroundings. Fourtrees again. Was he to get his nine lives while he was unconscious in any place? That couldn't possibly be in the warrior code.

"Do I get my nine lives here?" he whispered. All the StarClan warriors nodded sadly, but there was great power within them.

"Are you ready to receive your nine lives, Ravenpaw?" Bluestar and Lionheart asked in one voice.

"I would be honored—but…I just have one question I would like answered…if you don't mind." He mewed uncomfortably. Many of the cats had shock-written faces before they re-registered their expressions.

"If we can answer it, we will." Yellowfang's rasp sounded powerful as she moved her way through the starry cats.

"I would like to know what my warrior name would have been," Ravenpaw meowed.

Bluestar stepped forward to meet where Yellowfang was.

"Your warrior name would have been Ravenwing. For you were a shy and timid apprentice, StarClan new you would rise above your fears and become one of the greatest warriors of the forest, next to Firestar."

Bluestar stepped back into the ranks of StarClan.

"Thank you," Ravenpaw whispered.

_Ravenwing_. He thought to himself.

"You are ready now?" Yellowfang's mew sounded impatient yet amused at the same time. Ravenpaw dipped his head in agreement.

"I am," he vowed.

Lionheart stepped forward. Ravenpaw's heart swelled with pride, _he _was going to be a _leader_. The black tom had thought he was to be born a ThunderClan cat and die a loner. He couldn't believe what was happening.

"With this life," Lionheart's loud meow rang throughout Fourtrees, "I give you justice, to give every cat and Clan a chance." The magnificent golden toms head rested on Ravenpaw's, heat and pain surged through him for a small moment, but he buried it deeper inside of him. Lionheart backed away, but added quietly, "_Every_ cat will need a chance, now, Ravenpaw."

A beautiful silver tabby appeared, and as she walked forward to meet Ravenpaw, a voice in his head was screaming _Silverstream_.

"Graystripe," he breathed, thinking of the stories his old friend would tell him. The silver she-cats eyes drowned with sadness, and then pride. She nodded.

"With this life, I give you love. Never stop loving your Clan." Silverstream's head rested on Ravenpaw's. It felt as though he were being kicked backwards, and then clawed. So much _pain_. Silverstream took one last sad look at Ravenpaw, and then met back with the other StarClan warriors.

Ravenpaw stifled a _mrrow_ of laughter as one of the most easily irritated cats padded up to him. Yellowfang.

"With this life," she rasped, "I give you caring. Never stop caring for the cats of your Clan. Not the stronger, not the weaker." Slight pain eased through Ravenpaw, he was surprised it ended that quickly. Yellowfang dipped her head and walked away.

The next, a golden she-cat. It was Goldenflower, the queen who fussed over him the most while he was in the nursery, more than his own mother. A purr rose in his throat. Goldenflower now stood before him.

"With this life, I give you the gift of caring for yours and any others' kits. Never give up on them, for they need you the _most_." Pain like no other seared inside of him. He wanted to yowl out in pain, but no sound came out. Memories flooded him.

"_Look," a warrior sneered a gathering, "It's __**Tigerstar**_._" The apprentice tried to make himself look smaller and sighed. Would the comments never end?_

"_Leave my brother alone!" a tortoiseshell she-cat growled to the darker pelted warrior._

"_**And**__ Tigerstar's sister," the tom growled, then snorted in disgust and walked away."_

The pain was over, as was the memory. Ravenpaw realized he must have been seeing through _Brambleclaw's _eyes when he was just an apprentice. He shivered. No cat deserved to be called Tigerstar.

"Always protect them," Goldenflower whispered and padded away. Ravenpaw nodded solemnly.

Ravenpaw's heart flipped as he saw the next cat leave the crowd, a tortoiseshell tom with a red bushy tail.

"Redtail!" he whispered excitedly, and growled quietly as he recalled his death.

The tom purred as he guessed what Ravenpaw was thinking. Before he rested his head on Ravenpaw's he meowed, "With this life, I give you strength. Never give up your strength, if you have the _slightest_ bit left." The pain ended quickly in this life, but the same face kept re-appearing. Tigerstar.

Whitestorm walked past Redtail as he made his way over to Ravenpaw.

"With this life, I give you courage. Never stop defending your Clan." The large white toms head lay on Ravenpaw's for a moment, and he could see the raging battle of BloodClan; where Whitestorm lay, helpless, as a tom larger than him clawed him over and over. _But he never gave up_. Ravenpaw thought as the memory faded.

Next, was an apprentice who'd never made it to the Great Journey. It was Shrewpaw; the small tom had died chasing a pheasant and got hit on the Thunderpath. Firestar had told him. The small toms words rang louder than Ravenpaw would have thought.

"With this life, I give you mentoring. Always mentor your apprentices completely, and be patient, for they must learn." Not much pain was required in this life, though Ravenpaw felt pride in himself for one of the many times tonight. He looked fondly at Shrewpaw as he padded away; he died _trying_.

Ravenpaw remembered the next she-cat who padded up. Her pretty tortoiseshell fur was a pelt that couldn't be forgotten.

He dipped his head, "Spottedleaf." The pretty she-cat looked straight into Ravenpaw's eyes.

"With this life, I give you faith. Never stop believing." Ravenpaw took this life easily, and purred his thanks to Spottedleaf. She walked away. His last life was now to come. Bluestar boldly walked up to the tom.

"With this life, I give you nobility and loyalty. Be loyal and noble, Ravenpaw. Always respect the warrior code. Use these traits well to lead your Clan."

After Ravenpaw received the life, Bluestar walked back to the starry warriors and they all chanted,

"RAVENSTAR! RAVENSTAR! RAVENSTAR!"

Pride was overwhelming him. He purred loudly as the StarClan warriors began to speak again:  
"Rogues and loners will become one, and a new Clan shall be formed." As the vision of StarClan and Fourtrees faded, Ravenstar saw Bluestar look him in the eyes and proudly meow, "You will be a great leader, Ravenstar… This I know."

* * *

**_Hmm, I hope you liked it :3.  
And I know most of you will think Ravenpaw/star couldn't recieve his 9 lives while he was in a BARN. But this is my FanFic. D: . Sawry, but if you can help me with idea's I could change it. ~  
R&R please! And idea's for any chapter are appreciated3_**

**_xRyuchie_**


	7. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****Warriors****.**

C H A P T E R 5

Sible couldn't catch a squirrel if her life depended on it. The prey was only a few branches further and she tensed, ready to spring…

"Oof!" the breath was winded out of her as she fell on the ground, for once not landing on her paws. She rolled over quickly and glared at the tree. She saw a tiny speck in the branches as the squirrel scurried away.

Sible grumbled to herself as she walked over to the pond at the edge of the clearing. After taking a few laps of water, she noticed a yellow butterfly fluttering just inches above her nose.

Sible batted at the butterfly with sheathed claws, not wanting to hurt it. Lesier was sleeping soundly at the foot of the biggest tree, and her whiskers twitched as Sible edged closer, swatting at her new game. The golden she-cat leaped over her sleeping sister and the butterfly flew out of reach. Sible sighed as it fluttered away out of sight.

She glanced over to where her nest was; it was full of prickly things and crunchy leaves. Sible padded out of the clearing searching for more moss. She purred as she picked up its damp scent and it led her to a large clump under a tree. As she was breathing in its warm scent, another smell over-powered it.

_Cat scent! _She thought in alarm, whisking around to find herself face to face with a large brown tom. She crouched low to the floor, her eyes never leaving the tom's angry stare.

_Lesier! _She whispered to herself, _where are you?_

"What are you doing here?" the tom asked in a throaty growl.

"I-I just wanted some—" Sible was cut off by a cuff around the ear with unsheathed claws. She yowled in surprise at the small drops of blood that oozed out.

"This is my territory!" he snarled. Sible flattened her ears against her head in rage, and stood up tall. "I've never smelled you here," she said firmly, hoping her voice wouldn't shake, "and neither has Lesier."

"You mean there's more?" the brown cat asked in outrage.

_Oh no! _Sible wanted to kick herself.

"Leave," the tom ordered. Sible stood her ground.

"How long have you been here?" she growled just as menacingly.

"I don't know, a few suns. Why are you questioning me?" the enemy narrowed his eyes in suspicion, and unsheathed his claws again.

"Nice try, _cat,_" she spat the word, "but I've been here for a while, more than just a few suns."

The tom yowled in rage and launched himself at the striped, golden she-cat. Sible screeched in surprise as his claws raked against her flank. She heaved upward, only unsteadying the tom. He turned again and scratched his claws across her face. Sible knew he was a weak fighter, but so was she. Suddenly, a flash of gray fur streaked out of the bushes and bowled the tom over.

"Get out of my territory!" Lesier screeched as she batted at his unexposed stomach with her claws. The tom yowled and used his weight against her. Now Lesier was the prey. He lowered his jaws, about to bite into her throat…

"No!" Sible growled and scratched at the tom with all her might. She turned around and kicked backwards, giving Lesier a chance to stand again.

"Leave our territory," she spat at the tom, which was panting slightly and bleeding from a few scratches. Nothing too serious.

Sible went to stand beside her sister, it looked like the tom was in this by himself. He swung a paw in Lesier's direction, catching her muzzle with a claw. Blood spurted out, but Lesier took no notice. She simply growled at the tom until he backed off. Soon, he was just a bad memory.

"What were you thinking, Sible?" Lesier growled, "Provoking a _huge_ tom like that!" Sible hung her head, but then pricked her ears.

"How did you know I was provoking him?" she asked in surprise.

"I heard the last of your conversation, you would have woken up the entire forest if you were even the slightest bit louder!"

"Mhm…" Sible muttered and padded toward the clearing.

XXX

Sible glared at the squirrel in her sister's catch.

"Lesier, teach me how to catch a squirrel!" Sible pleaded and stared at her sister with big eyes.

"You just stay quiet," Lesier pointed out matter-of-factly, "It's way easier to catch them if they're on the ground. But, if you keep trying to catch them, they'll be too scared to ever come out of their nests. If that happens, you'll never catch a squirrel."

Sible glowered at the ground. _I __**am**__ quiet. _She growled at herself, _right?_

Lesier purred at her sister's expression and then took off for more prey. Sible stared at her nest again. It was still full of watery-mush. She shuddered at the thought of the tom. _What if Lesier hadn't been there to save me?_

XXX

Once Lesier got back, Sible noticed she had moss in her mouth, along with two mice. She was also carrying moss on her back. Sible padded over and took the green stuff off her sisters back.

"That's for you, I noticed how gross your bedding is," Lesier muttered through all the stuff in her mouth. Sible purred her thanks and started clearing out her old moss. The golden she-cat lay in her new, fresh bed and rolled around. Soon enough, she was asleep.

She was back in her old forest, before the huge tree-eaters came. She saw her mother there and gasped. She also noticed Tawe. Why was she here? She nervously picked her way to the middle of the leafy clearing. Lesier was sitting obliviously by her river, playing with the fish.

"Sible," her mother spoke, "You will see me no more…" Sible lay down, her eyes filled with sadness. She stared at her mother and spoke in a dead voice, "You're dead." Saphria nodded, and Sible was taken over by a wave of memories.

**She was seeing through her mother's eyes as the tree-eaters chased her. She could see the old clearing coming into view. She could see Lesier and Sible streaking away with a fish in their jaws. Saphria yowled, trying to get her kit's attention, but she was too late. They were gone, and the tree-eaters roar cut off her yowl.**

**"Lesier!" Saphria panted, "Sible!" She felt the tree-eaters sharp claws dig into her and everything went black.**

"You came back!" Sible's mew was itching with deep sadness. Saphria nodded and then glanced to the side. A blue-gray she-cat was emerging from the bushes. Sible raised her head; she'd never met this cat before.

The blue-gray she-cat stepped over and sat beside Saphria and Tawe.

"I am Bluestar," she said, dipping her head in respect. Sible did the same. "I have come to tell you that you have a great destiny ahead of you. I come from the four Clans. ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan. Each of the Clans' holds a great number of cats."

Sible opened her mouth to speak, but Bluestar waved her tail. There was an aroma of authority that this blue-gray cat had. She was powerful.

"You will get your answers soon enough Sible," she meowed quietly and everything faded.

Soon enough, Sible thought.

* * *

**_Yeah, I realize I said that I wasn't gonna update, but I wasn't so sure. So I updated anyway, because the other story I was working on didn't go so well. Hah.  
R&R please! :)_**

**_xRyuchie_**


	8. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

Chapter 6

"Ravenpaw!" Barley's loud meow echoed around the new leader. Ravenstar opened his eyes. He was back in the barn, and Barley was prodding him in the side. _Did all that really just happen? I'm a __**leader**__?_

The black cat rose to his paws and stared at Barley. "I have my nine lives," he breathed, not believing his own words, "I'm Ravenstar now."

Barley gaped at his friend, and then dipped his head in respect, not knowing what to say.

Ravenstar let out a nervous _mrrow_ of laughter. "I didn't think it was possible," he muttered.

"H-how did you get your nine lives here in the barn? What about Highstones?" Barley asked.

"The Twolegs are too close, Bluestar says they could destroy it at any moment." Ravenstar sighed, and then looked around sadly. "The sun is up… we should go."

"Shall we hunt first?" Barley offered, inclining his head in the direction where the smell of mice was coming from. Ravenstar nodded and lowered himself into the hunters crouch.

After their stomachs' were full, the two glanced around the barn for the last time.

"Goodbye," they both said together, and slowly walked out. When they had been walking for a while, they neared Highstones. Ravenstar's paws ached already. They both gasped when they took in what was in front of them. Twoleg monsters were closing in on the beloved place. It had survived seasons upon seasons, and now Ravenstar watched as his life was practically torn away.

"You will be missed," he whispered and dipped his head to the old StarClan meeting place. He closed his eyes as the Twoleg monsters began crushing the old stones. They had to get passed all of the monsters unnoticed. He glanced nervously at his friend, and Barley sighed.

"I know a way around," the tom muttered and flicked his tail for Ravenstar to follow. They skirted around the edge of the monsters and around a few trees. Once, a monster came so close to the two, they thought they were crowfood. The monster simply turned away again, the Twoleg inside its belly.

The sun was falling by the time they made it past Mothermouth and all the smelly monsters. They breathed a sigh of relief as they quickly passed the last one. Ravenstar followed the way where he saw Brambleclaw and the other cats from the old prophecy heading. They clambered their way up a hill, and looked down below them. There was more woodland, and the scents of prey were strong.

Though the two weren't hungry, they hunted and caught a few mice just incase there was no prey ahead. Ravenstar padded along, two mice dangling from his jaws. His pace was beginning to slow. Barley, also carrying two mice, flopped on the ground.

"Ravenstar," he rasped tiredly, "we should rest."

Ravenstar let out a _mrrow_ of laughter, but he couldn't help but agree. He dug a hole in the ground and set their prey inside. He scratched up some leaves together in a makeshift nest and fell asleep quickly.

Ravenstar's eyes flew open at the sound of screeching cats. Sleep forgotten, he stood up briskly and looked around for Barley. He couldn't see his friend, but he sure could _hear _him. Ravenstar turned around and stuck his head through a bush. There he saw Barley fighting a brown she-cat.

"Stop!" he yowled and shouldered his way difficultly through the writhing cats. The she-cat hissed at Ravenstar and he glared at her. His head whipped back toward Barley.

"What are you _doing?_" he asked, surprised at his friend. Barley bared his teeth in the beginning of a snarl, "The she-cats trying to steal our prey."

Ravenstar growled, but he wasn't as upset as he should have been. He turned back to the she-cat, a calm mask spreading across his face.

_Give every cat and Clan a chance. _Lionheart had said. Ravenstar dipped his head to the brown rogue and began to speak. "I am Ravenstar, and this is Barley. Please forgive us of the uncalled for behavior. Of course you can have prey."

The she-cat had a shock-written face for a moment and then growled, "I catch my own prey, thanks."

"Then what were you trying to do?" Barley accused. The rogue turned her head away in disgust.

"I was defending my territory, that's what I was doing." She meowed, surprisingly calm. Ravenstar noticed she had an upper overbite, and she looked magnificently strong.

"I scented no markers," Ravenstar mewed, not an accusation, just curiosity.

"I didn't think I'd need to make any," the she-cat meowed, "it's not often I get cats in this small part of the forest. But when I do, I know how to defend myself."

Ravenstar nodded, "That seems fair," he meowed, "May I ask your name?"

"Lani," she meowed in a weirdly sudden friendly tone, noticing all signs of threat were gone, "It's nice to meet you, and…sorry I attacked you." She added, glancing at Barley. The black-and-white tom waved his tail in forgiveness. Ravenstar was shocked at how calm the rogue was now.

"Have you lived here all your life?" Ravenstar wondered, sitting down a few tail lengths away. Lani shook her head, "I've lived here many, many shines. But I was born far from here…there were lots of rocks there, I think." Ravenstar twitched his whiskers, _shines_, he thought to himself. Apparently other cats didn't know what moons were. Then what Lani said sunk in.

"You say there were rocks there?" He asked curiously. Lani shrugged her shoulders, "I think, but I was a kit when my mother took me away from there…" she narrowed her eyes as if to see some forgotten memory. Ravenstar nodded. Was she from the mountains?

"I'm sorry Barley and I intruded on your territory, we have to re-locate, too." Ravenstar murmured sadly. Lani looked confused and thoughtful, "Your forgiven," she mewed.

"Listen," Ravenstar mewed, "I have been told by my ancestors that rogues and loners will become one. And…that I have to lead a Clan," He glanced up at Lani, and she had a guarded expression. He went on as lightly as he could, "I was thinking maybe you could join?"

Lani's eyes widened.

"Why should I leave?" she was on the verge of growling now, her neck fur beginning to bristle, "This is my _home_."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you!" Ravenstar blurted out, flattening his ears. He would have to get better at this if he was going to join together and entire Clan! Lani's fur began to lie flat, "Why should I go?" she asked, weirdly calm again. Ravenstar sighed in relief.

"My warrior ancestors, StarClan, they said that Twoleg's were destroying more of the forest than they already were…they're destroying mine and Barleys home probably as we speak."

Lani's eyes were sad, but then curious, "What's a Twoleg?"

Ravenstar stifled a small_ mrrow_ of laughter, "A Twoleg is um…bald creatures that stand on two legs, and they're loud and clumsy?" Ravenstar didn't know how to describe them.

Realization dawned on Lani's face. "Oh…I know what you're talking about. But…do you really think they're going to destroy this part of the forest? _My _forest?"

"According to the Twoleg's, everything belongs to them. I think they will come here though. That's why Bluestar—she's part of StarClan, was so demanding when it came to joining rogues and loners together."

Lani had a pondering look on her face, "Are cat's of StarClan, you know…dead?"

Ravenstar nodded. "We seek our guidance from them," he meowed respectfully. Lani had more questions.

"Don't be offended, but, why do you have such a weird name?" she mewed uncertainly.

"It's part of the warrior code," he mewed, "when you're born, your mother names you something that reminds them of you, and you take that name and 'kit after it. An apprentice is 'paw, and a warrior is anything of the leaders choice. 'Star is the name a leader receives and is granted nine lives…" Ravenstar wasn't sure he should go on, he shouldn't have even revealed this much, but he had confidence Lani would join the soon to be _EchoClan_. Lani's eyes widened as she stared at the new leader.

"You're a leader?" she meowed, shocked. Suddenly, she dipped her head in respect and Ravenstar purred.

"Well, I'm not sure I'm completely a leader. I've no Clan to lead. _Yet._"

Lani nodded knowledgeably.

"If I join, what will I be?" she asked curiously.

"Well," Ravenstar meowed, "You'd be a warrior, because I bet you're older than a season right?"

Lani nodded again. "What would _he _be?" she asked, looking at Barley with a questioning look.

"Barley has been my friend for many moons," Ravenstar stopped, hoping Lani knew what _moons_ were. She waved her tail signaling he continue, "He would be my deputy. If I die or retire, he would become leader."

"Huh," Lani said, "Interesting. I think…I'll join…" the brown she-cat took a long sad look at her part of the forest.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Ravenstar stared at her sadly, and she sighed. A moment later, her eyes gleamed.

"And what?" She growled in mock-anger, "Become think mud-prey? I don't think so."

"Mud-prey?" Barley asked, speaking up for the first time.

"It's what I call rotting prey, or something of that nature," Lani mewed.

"Ah," Barley said in interest, "We call it crowfood. It seems we've a lot to learn about each other."

Ravenstar started to shuffle his paws; still nervous Lani would change her mind. She would make a great warrior.

"When do we leave?" Lani asked, suddenly sad.

"We could stay here overnight," Ravenstar suggested, remembering that his sleep had been interrupted. He was shocked he'd won Lani over so easily; rogues were tough cats to reason with.

"How many cat's do you need in your…what's it called…Oh, Clan?" Lani meowed.

"Yes, it's Clan," Ravenstar said in an amused tone, "I'm not sure, but way many more than just three."

Lani nodded and stared around her trees again, "I'm really going to miss this place…" she muttered. She was still full of questions, "Where will we live?"

"Um… there are four other Clans, over what we call mountains. You know, the sharp rocks that seem to go on forever? I think that might be where you're from. Well, when we get there, we're hoping we can find our own territory. I was thinking of calling the Clan something like…EchoClan?" Ravenstar looked at Barley and Lani curiously, and when they nodded, he sighed in relief.

"What are the other Clans called? And…I think this is my last question for now," Lani mewed.

Ravenstar let Barley speak, "ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan and RiverClan."

Lani looked worried for a moment and Ravenstar wondered why. But it was obvious; she was leaving the home she'd come to know and love. It would be just as hard as leaving the barn…

XXX

Ravenstar lay in a makeshift nest he'd put together for himself. Barley was only a few tail-lengths away. The black tom shifted uncomfortably, and glanced over to where Lani slept. She laid peacefully, the stars turning her pelt to silver. Ravenstar sighed and closed his eyes, wishing for sleep.

"Raven**star**," A voice snarled. The tom blinked sleep from his eyes and stared to the side. He gasped as he took in what was lurking in the trees. It couldn't be possible, that cat was long dead! Ravenstar glared angrily.

"Tigerstar!"


	9. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors**_**.**

Chapter 7

Sible woke, glancing up into the trees. She saw nothing but the leaves swaying in the soft wind. She looked over at Lesier's nest and her sister was gone.

_Probably out hunting again, _Sible sighed. She got up and padded over to the small pond in her clearing. As she lapped up the water, she smelled another scent of cat.

_Not again! _She cried and whipped around, her pelt bristling. It was just the wind. But that scent seemed so _familiar_… Then what happened in her dream came rushing back to her like a bolt of lightning.

The blue-gray she-cat called Bluestar, the Clans, the answers Sible needed, her mother… Sible sighed and laid her head on her paws. Her mother was dead, and there was nothing she could do about it.

**XXX**

_"Goodbye, Sible," Saphria murmured. Pressing her muzzle to her daughters. Lesier stayed quiet, and waved her tail in farewell to her mother. Sible guessed they'd already said goodbye to each other earlier._

_"You never did tell me where you were going, Mother," Sible meowed and stared at Saphria with big green eyes. Saphria sighed and rested her tail on Sible's shoulder. _

_"I'm going on a short journey, young one," she meowed, "I will be back though, I promise." Saphria licked Sible's forehead and bounded away. Sible stared sadly at her mother. Suddenly Saphria turned again._

_"Don't worry Sible," she called, "Lesier will take care of you!" and with that, she was gone._

**XXX**

"Sible," Lesier prodded her sister in the side with a paw, "Wake up. Stop daydreaming."

The striped golden she-cat let out a yelp of surprise and then stared at Lesier. "Where did mother go? On the journey, I mean." She demanded. Lesier looked taken aback by the sudden question. "I don't know, she didn't tell me."

"Yes she did!" Sible growled, her neck fur beginning to bristle, "Tell me, Lesier. _Now_."

"Why do you even care?" her sister snapped back, "She's going to find us, Sible. She can answer your questions then."

Sible plopped on the ground, causing Lesier to stumble back a few steps. "She's _dead_, Lesier. Mother. Is. Dead."

Lesier rolled her eyes, "How can you possibly know that? Have hope."

Sible looked down, "She was in my dream last night, Lesier. She told me she was dead. Tawe was there, too." She glanced up on the last part. Lesier was still touchy about the subject of their father.

Sible watched as many emotions played across Lesier's face. Hate, anger, sadness, shock. Sible thought it was odd that her sister looked shocked after all of the other emotions. She shrugged it off; they just didn't absorb information the same way.

"Sometimes a dream is just a dream," Lesier murmured and padded away slowly with her head and tail drooping. Sible stared after Lesier and watched her sister flop down in her nest. She then looked around for the prey pile.

_Odd, _Sible thought, _there is none_. She stood up, forcing herself to stop thinking about her mother, and went off to search for more prey.

**XXX**

Sible padded back into camp with two mice and a vole clamped in her jaws. She took a mouse for herself and set the vole down where her sister was still asleep. Lesier stirred, and Sible jumped back at the unsuspected movement.

"Thank you." Lesier meowed sadly and started biting into her vole. Sible's ears pricked.

"You didn't have the dream about the blue-gray she-cat?" she asked questioningly. She hadn't even stopped to think about asking that.

"She-cat? No." her sister replied around a mouth full of vole.

"Oh…" Sible meowed, "Why?"

Lesier let out a small, sad _mrrow_ of laughter, "Sible," she meowed with the slightest amusement in her tone, "I can't help what I do and don't dream."

"Oh," Sible repeated, "Right."

Lesier stood up and watched Sible as she ate.

"Can I help you?" The golden she-cat asked.

"I think I believe you. About the dream…though I really wish I didn't." Lesier meowed, staring at her paws.

"Does this mean you'll tell me where Mother went?"

"Saphria went…to find Tawe," Lesier started, "She told me she had one other quest to fulfill before she came back, but she said she wasn't entirely sure she was up to it just yet. She obviously didn't find Tawe. I knew he was already dead, but Saphria wouldn't listen. She said to _have hope_."

Sible noticed the last part. _Have hope_. Didn't Lesier just say that this morning?

"You're so much like her." Sible mewed, and then asked, "Why did she go to find Tawe? If he'd already been gone that long, then wasn't all hope lost already?"

"Sible," Lesier meowed, her eyelids narrowing in obvious question, "Tawe wasn't gone as long as you think. He was here when you were born, even though that seems like forever ago. How old are you now?"

"Ten moons," Sible meowed automatically, she'd been counting. Tawe had really been there when she was alive? The question gnawed at Sible until it broke free, "How old was I when he was captured?"

"A moon, I think," Lesier turned her head to one side and a thoughtful expression spread across her face. "Yes. One moon exactly. He was captured on the night of the full moon…"

Sible nodded sadly. How come she couldn't remember him?

_I was too young, _she thought, _But at least I _knew_ him._

"What was the other quest?" she asked. But Lesier shrugged, "I've no idea. She wouldn't budge on telling me that one, honest."

Sible nodded again and let that one slide. Though she _would_ find out someday. Once she got to talk to the blue-gray she-cat again. Sible knew that the she-cat had all the answers she was looking for. Would she dream about her again tonight?

"I'm going to go get more moss. And then see if I can find anymore prey," Lesier said suddenly, and then flicked her tail at the pitiful prey pile. Infact, it wasn't even a _pile_. It consisted of just one mouse. Sible let out a _mrrow_ of laughter and bounded after her sister, all signs of sadness gone.

**XXX**

"I've found more moss!" Sible yowled to her sister, who was a good many fox-lengths away.

"Shhh!" Lesier hissed and ran towards Sible, "Do you want to frighten all the prey into the Twoleg nest's?"

"Oh…sorry." Sible couldn't help but find the amusement in the situation. Lesier rolled her eyes and ran in the opposite direction, searching for the remaining fresh-kill.

Sible carried as much moss as she could back to her clearing, and told Lesier she'd be back. She dropped the moss and looked toward to where her mouse was. Her stomach had begun to growl since she hadn't finished the other mouse earlier. But it wasn't there.

She ran towards where it was and sniffed the air curiously.

_Twoleg scent?! _She almost leaped out of her fur and let out a yowl of terror. Not bothering to trace the scent, she darted back to where she thought Lesier was. She streaked across the forest floor, swerving around trees and flattening herself under prickly brambles. She picked up Lesier's scent trail and it was mixed with…the Twoleg's! Sible ran as fast as her legs would take her, and soon began to hear her sister.

Lesier came into view as Sible rounded a large tree and spotted her hissing at the Twoleg. She glanced toward Sible and yowled, "Run!"

Sible didn't move. Because right when Lesier started bounding toward her, the Twoleg flung out a net looking think and trapped the gray tabby. Lesier's amber eyes glinted with rage and she tore at the net. Ripping a few of the strings, she was able to stick her head through. She kept yowling for Sible to run. The golden she-cat ran up to her sister and started clawing at the net.

The Twoleg yowled with rage and picked Sible up painfully by her neck fur. She screeched in terror for her sister. Would Lesier be taken away?

Lesier had managed to scrape through more of the strings and could almost fit her whole body through. The Twoleg then flung Sible toward a tree, and she hit it with such force, that many of the branches above quivered.

_So much pain_… she sighed and her eyelids drooped.

"Sible!" Lesier yowled and reached a paw toward her sister. By now, the Twoleg had shoved the gray tabby in a wire nest. It was just like her dream before, minus Tawe. Too stunned to move, Sible let out a silent wail of anguish to Lesier. Her beloved sister was being carried away…First Tawe, then her mother, and not even a day later, Lesier.

"Lesier!" Sible's voice flowed back and she clawed herself to her paws. Her sister yowled back, and the Twoleg shook the wire nest violently. Lesier screeched in pain and Sible let out a snarl. She bounded painfully toward her sister, and when she made it over to them, she greeted the Twoleg by clawing at its exposed legs.

She growled with pleasure as the blood started to seep through the wounds. Without dropping Lesier, the Twoleg whipped around and pointed something sharp at Sible. Her breath caught in her throat, Sible was too terrified to move. She heard a _pop_ and her legs buckled beneath her.

"Sible!" Lesier cried again. The golden tabby was beginning to feel…_tired?_

"Lesier…" her mew was slurred with the sudden sleepiness. She forced her eyes to stay open and stared at her sister.

"I'll find you again Sible," Lesier meowed sorrowfully as the Twoleg rushed away, "_I_ _promise_."

"I love you, Lesier…" Sible sighed and sleep overcame her.

* * *

**Yes, yes. Very sad, I know. Anyway, Sible wasn't shot with a gun, obviously, but one of those sleeping dart things people use. You know? I don't know the proper name for them, honestly. Well anyway, please R&R and I'll write faster! :)**

**xRyu **


	10. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors.**_

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed (: Especially _Firestorm75_ and _Silverpelt--leader of StarClan_, they've really showed they care! ;D *tear* Haha, anyway, to the reviews:** _"__Does Lani have a split personality?" **and** "Please tell me this won't turn out to be a Raven x Barley fic or a Blue x Raven fic..." _**No, Lani does not have a split personality. She's just a nice cat in general, but she knows to defend her territory. And no, this is not a Blue x Raven or a Raven x Barley. Both pairings disgust me, honestly. XD Okay yeah, sorry for the long authors note.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Ravenstar blinked a few times.

_This can't be happening._ The shape of the huge tom still didn't disappear. While frozen in place, Ravenstar didn't move as Tigerstar stalked over to him.

"You'll never be a leader," the dark warrior taunted him, "You're just as soft as a kittypet!"

Ravenstar hissed in hatred and swatted his claws at his former mentor. Tigerstar seemed to dissolve. The black tom stared in disbelief. Everything was changing in his life now, and if it meant he had to deal with the dead Tigerstar in order to be leader, then so be it.

His heart was still pounding, and his eyes were still huge. _Calm_. He thought to himself. _It was just a vision_. Ravenstar heart Lani stir in her nest and her head popped up. She blinked sleep from her eyes.

"Hello Ravenstar," she mewed, still laying in her nest, "What are you still doing up?"

"Bad dream,"

"Oh," Lani meowed, "Would it help if you talk about it?"

"Not really," he sighed, "Thanks though."

Lani nodded and lay her head down again. Ravenstar wondered if she was thinking of staying here. If she did stay, though, the Twoleg's themselves would have to drive her out. He heard her sigh and felt pity for the she-cat. Soon enough, Lani's breathing came in slowly and deeply, and Ravenstar realized she was asleep.

The tom flinched as Tigerstar's face filled his mind again. He still couldn't believe that happened. Tigerstar must have had some other reason for coming to Ravenstar. Not just to taunt him, but _what_? And why hadn't he stayed to finish what he had started? Ravenstar growled, and fear shot through him at the thought of the dark warrior returning.

"Help us!" A she-cats voice pierced through the night air. Lani's head whipped up as if she hadn't been sleeping in the first place, and Barleys ears pricked as he lifted his head. Ravenstar had already leaped up with his fur bristling. Through the bushes shot a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, and Ravenstar stiffened. It was the cat he'd fought near the barn! He glanced over at Barley and noticed his friends fur was beginning to rise.

"Help…me, please!" she panted, lowering her head in exhaustion.

"What's wrong?" Lani and Ravenstar demanded at the same time.

"My mate, Bane, he's…been trapped by the tree-killers!" the she-cat wailed. Ravenstar wondered how she'd gotten over here so fast. It had taken him and Barley half a day. But that didn't matter right now.

"Where is he?" Ravenstar asked quickly. They would have to hurry in time to save him.

"Ravenstar," Barley meowed, "We'll never make it in time!" his friend finished by muttering something about the fight they'd had before with the two cats.

"He's back at home," the she-cat began to catch her breath and looked at Ravenstar with pleading eyes, "Please. You have to help him." The tom didn't point out that he didn't know exactly where her _home_ was, but she would take him. It was her mate, after all.

"I'm going," Lani said determinedly, Ravenstar and Barley both agreed. Ravenstar noticed a flicker of hope in the tortoiseshell's eye and she sped off while yowling, "Thank you!"

XXX

Ravenstar was exhausted by the time they'd even gotten _near_ the barn. They still had a few fox-lengths up the hill they'd passed yesterday. A few heartbeats later, he stood atop the hill, panting for breath. As he stared at what was below him he gasped. Lani and Barley both chorused him in fright. The tree-eaters were still tearing up Mothermouth along with many, many trees.

What Ravenstar was most shocked about was the large gray tom in the field. The sleek black tom didn't have to see closely to know that Bane's eyes were round with terror.

"Help him, please!" The she-cat pleaded, taking off again. Still out of breath, Ravenstar pelted along the grass, Lani and Barley behind him.

"Tally!" Bane's voice was thick with shock as the she-cat came into view. So Tally was her name. The tortoiseshell jumped back as a monster roared in front of her, heading for another tree.

"We've come to help you!" Lani called over the obnoxious roars of monsters. Bane's eyes widened as he noticed Ravenstar and Barley. But he hadn't time to think of the past; the tom had to get out of the circle of monsters as quickly as possible. Ravenstar was shocked Bane hadn't already been killed. He heard the gray tom yowl out a 'Thank you' to all the cats.

One of the monsters rumbled to life and it edged toward Bane.

"Bane!" Tally cried, "Get out of there!" The tom looked around wildly, the other monsters that were circling him had begun to wake up.

"I can't!" he yowled back, wrinkling his nose at the stench of monster. Ravenstar stared in horror as the monsters started going closer to Bane, and he didn't have an escape.

A thought flooded Ravenstar's mind.

"Bane," he meowed loudly, trying to be louder than the monsters, "Jump over the monsters' face! You'll be able to have a chance to escape!"

Bane stared at the smallest monster. Ravenstar guessed he was measuring the distance of the jump. The tom gave a massive leap in the air and scratched painfully at the monsters face. A Twoleg yowled inside its belly.

Ravenstar was overwhelmed with the reek of the tree-eaters. There were so _many_. Lani and Barley were rooted to the spot, their jaws gaping in horror. Bane's claws made a terrible scraping sound on the monsters pelt. The Twoleg yowled louder. The gray tom jumped again and tumbled to the ground in front of Tally. Bane panted and moaned in pain.

"Oh, Bane!" Tally cried and began covering him with comforting licks. Bane managed to pull up a raspy purr.

"Lets get out of here, quick." Lani said desperately, and all five cats took off. Bane leaned against Ravenstar and Tally. Neither tom took notice that they used to be enemies.

XXX

"Thanks again for saving me," Bane meowed gratefully to all the cats. Tally hadn't left his side since he'd gotten to Lani's forest.

"Do you think they'll come here?" Lani mewed, her voice shaking.

"No," Barley meowed, "Monsters are stupid creatures." Lani and Tally glanced around nervously, as if expecting a monster to bundle out of the trees. Bane licked a wound in his foreleg, but he wasn't badly injured. Ravenstar wondered if they'd join the soon to be EchoClan. He felt a prickle of excitement. He wouldn't bring it up until later, though. Ravenstar didn't want to rush them, and he wanted to make sure they trusted him enough.

"I never got a chance to introduce myself," Tally said, "I'm Tally, though you probably already know that."

"I'm Ravenstar," he meowed in a friendly tone, "And these are Lani and Barley," Each cat dipped their head at the sound of their name.

"I'm Bane," the gray tom pointed out, his introduction muffled by licking his wounded paw.

"You know," Lani meowed, "A cobweb should stop the bleeding."

"Great idea!" Tally mewed excitedly, for once bounding away from her mate to find cobweb. Then a thought struck him. _What about a medicine cat? _He suddenly felt hollow, and not just because of hunger.

The sun was beginning to rise now, and Ravenstar sighed.

"I'm going hunting," he murmured to Barley, and his friend followed. Lani pricked her ears and followed them along with the scents of prey. Tally and Bane were sleeping off their fright in a heap of moss they'd found earlier. But Ravenstar didn't think they'd eaten yet.

XXX

"Yes!" Lani cheered as she brought down a rather large blackbird. She'd killed it swiftly in the air with her teeth before it could sound an alarm call. Ravenstar purred congratulations. He and Barley had caught four mice and a sparrow together and they all padded happily back into Lani's territory. Bane and Tally stirred at the scent of prey and Ravenstar flicked his tail toward the pile, signaling they could eat anytime.

After all the cats had finished eating, the sun was highest in the sky. All that remained in the fresh-kill pile were two mice, but they had all day to hunt. The group all lay cozily in the grass, sharing random thoughts and laughing with each other. Lani flicked Ravenstar's ear with her tail, and the black tom knew why.

"Um…Tally, Bane," he started once he'd gotten the cats' attention, "There's something I have to ask you."


	11. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, obviously.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Sible woke groggily, blinking sleep from her eyes. Every one of her muscles felt heavy as she tried to stand, and she ached from nose to tail tip.

Memories of the day before made Sible nauseous and she let out a sad whimper. Was Lesier really gone? Sible shook her aching head and dragged her paws forward. Lifting her nose to smell the forest, she noticed Lesier's scent beginning to fade, and it was mixed in with the Twoleg's. She let out a growl, and then regretted it. Her throat was burning for water, and she was moving so slow.

"No," she croaked to herself, "I have to find Lesier…" she almost turned back to her clearing, her thirst getting the better of her, but she whipped back around and dragged into the trees.

Sible yowled out Lesier's name many times, her throat howling for water. Deeper into the forest, she found a thin stream. Her legs weak with relief, she wobbled over to it.

Her strength soared back into her as she took large laps of the ice-cold water.

"Lesier!" She called out more loudly, knowing it was no use. Her sister was gone, and she was probably never going to see her again. Sible's eyes narrowed, what was wrong with her life? Her mother and father were both dead, and her sister was most likely going to suffer the same fate.

Sible huffed as she plopped down on her paws. What was the use in searching? The Twoleg had already taken her away. A pretty blue feather fluttered in the wind towards the striped golden she-cat. Instead of playing with it like she normally would, she let it fly past her nose and deeper into the forest.

On either side of her were trees, trees and more trees. She didn't want to go back to her clearing, but what else was she supposed to do? She thought of Bluestar with Saphria and Tawe. Was _this_ her great destiny? To be stuck in a forest of nothingness, without any cat but herself? She sighed again, and wrapped her tail around her nose.

XXX

Three days had passed and Sible still felt no meaning in her life. She was living off small fish in the stream she'd drank from before. She stared up at the huge oak tree that she slept under for the past few sun-highs. It was powerful, and could crush anything it wanted. Sible wished she had that kind of power, so she could rip apart that Twoleg, or even that vicious brown tom.

"I can train myself!" Sible yowled out suddenly, and then flattened herself to the ground. Were there other cats in this part of the forest that could hear her? She didn't think so.

Sible lifted herself up and shook out her fur. Thinking like that would only scare her, and she didn't need that right now. Sible raised a paw, sheathing and unsheathing her claws until it felt less weird. She wasn't really an aggressive cat, but she would be if she had to be. Her tail lashed with anger toward everything that went wrong in her short life, and she _would_ avenge her family. In whatever way she could, that is. Flipping around, she tore at the oak tree, pretending it was an enemy. Scratching her claws on the tree eventually sharpened them, and she felt less weak. _I can do this, _she chanted to herself over and over. A growl ripped from her throat and then she let out a small _mrrow_ of laughter. _No, _she thought,_ vicious cats don't laugh. _But the thought made her laughter louder and higher. She slashed hard at the great tree, and her claws left long, jagged marks.

XXX

Almost a moon had passed since Sible began her self-training. She felt stronger, but she still had much more to do. She'd taught herself many different techniques, and felt as if she could take on any cat in the wild. The oak tree became her main target, but she'd moved on to softer, more cat-like feeling things when one of her claws had wrenched painfully backwards.

Sible rested for a day, soothing her paw and licking the fresh blood that wouldn't stop dripping out. Luckily, it was only a few drops at a time and it was treatable. Hopefully it wouldn't get infected, though.

The golden she-cat stood up slowly the next morning, testing her paw. The claw had shifted back into place during the night, but it was still sore. Stepping softly over to the small stream, she noticed a big fish. She struck her good paw out, but it wasn't the paw she normally used for hunting fish. The scaly body wriggled through her unsheathed claws and tried swimming away. Flashing out her injured paw, the sore claw caught on one of the scales.

She squeaked in pain as the fish's weight pulled on the now-bloody claw. If she tried pulling the claw out of the fish, it would be hanging on by a thread. She braced herself as the large fish pulled harder, and she flew into the ice-cold water. The fish swam freely away and Sible's muscles locked with the freezing current of the water, and it began to carry her away.

"Mouse-dung!" she spat, trying to get a hold on the shore. The stream wasn't wide at all, but it sure was freezing and swiftly moving. She paddled madly and the water in front of her turned a pinkish color from her bloody claw. _Great! _She thought angrily, _I __**finally**__got that stupid claw to stop bleeding, too! _

She cried out as the current carried her farther downstream. She'd been to the end of the river before and she knew what was down there. _Waterfall._

Suddenly sharp teeth dug into the scruff of her neck and she heard a struggling grunt. Her weight was being lifted out of the water! Instantly she stopped struggling and let whoever was helping her have it a little easier. Once her tail brushed the grass, the teeth from her neck vanished, and she fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Thank you," she croaked, wondering if they'd left.

"Yeah well," she heard an irritated voice, "Just stay away from the water next time."

Sible looked up, rising painfully to her paws. She saw a light ginger tom with bright green eyes, looking worried and angry at the same time.

"Thank you," she meowed again, dipping her head the way she'd seen Bluestar do in her dream.

"You're welcome, I guess." the tom mumbled and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Sible called, limping after the tom on three paws, still very aware of her bloody claw. The tom turned around and almost growled, "What?"

The golden she-cats eyes widened at the toms tone and she meowed hesitantly, "I don't even know your name."

"Electrocide."

"_Electrocide_?" Sible blurted out, "What kind of name is that?"

The tom snorted and turned away again.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Sible cried, racing after the ginger tom again. He whipped around, "What do you want?" he meowed shortly.

"I'm sorry," Sible repeated.

"Okay then," Electrocide meowed, "I'll be going now."

"Wait!" She meowed again, sounding desperate, "I just…I need someone to talk to. I need a _friend."_

"Well I'm not the cat you're looking for," Electrocide meowed, less angry now. Sible padded up closer, "I'm Sible!" she meowed excitedly. The tom had a strange expression on his face, one that made Sible feel stupid. Her face fell.

"Alright…" she sighed and started walking back to her oak tree that was just visible a few fox-lengths ahead.

Once she got closer to her tree, she looked back and Electrocide was gone. She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. He'd saved her life and she'd insulted him almost right after! Her tail lashed with anger, he was the only cat she'd seen for over a moon. She growled in annoyance for the last time and lay down in her nest and forced sleep to come.

XXX

Sible woke in the early dawn with a tugging at her tail. She shrugged it off and sighed, wanting to sleep some more. Soon the tugging turned into painful clawing and she let out a wail. Her eyes shot open to see the vicious brown tom thrusting his muzzle into her face.

"Leave!" He ordered, just like the last time. But again, like the last time, this was not going to work.

"This. Is. My. Territory." She snarled, stepping swiftly to her feet and unsheathing her claws. She winced as pain shot through her re-sored claw and then she wobbled with sleepiness. This was _not_ how she pictured her first battle to look. And she knew it _would_ come to a battle. The tom let out a harsh battle cry and slashed at Sible's face. She snarled angrily and leapt on top of him. Ripping out tufts of his fur with her good claws. He tried shaking her off, but she unsheathed her back claws, digging into him to get a hold. He yowled and flipped over. His weight crushed Sible and she cried in pain. The tom batted her head around and she reached up to tear at his throat. He jumped out of the way and then rammed into her side, shoving her against the tree.

Sible lay helpless and bruised on the ground. She thought she could do this… The brown tom clawed at her ears and one split, blood oozing freely out. She had many gashes on her side already, and it felt like she'd been fighting the tom for moons, not just a few moments.

"Not so tough now that the gray she-cat isn't here to protect you, huh?" he taunted, slashing a claw in her face. She twitched backwards just in time, but his claws still got her nose. She let out a cry of pain and defeat, but the tom wouldn't stop.

_He's going to kill me…_Sible thought, her vision bleary with blood. Suddenly, a more vicious battle cry sounded and she saw a streak of ginger fur dart towards the brown tom.

_Electrocide!_ Sible thought with more happiness than she could handle. He'd come back to _save _her. She would be forever grateful.

The brown tom had already been panting and bleeding a little from when he'd fought Sible just moments before, but he was no match for Electrocide. The light ginger tom slashed at the brown rogues face without any mercy, and then leaped onto his back, just as Sible had done. Electrocide was stronger than Sible, though, and he ripped at the tom's flanks with twice as much anger and ferocity. Soon, the brown tom lay in a small puddle of his own blood, breathing way more heavily than Sible had been. Very slowly and painfully, he got to his paws and dragged away moaning, his blood streaming behind him.

"Thank you…so much!" Sible's voice broke with the thought that anyone other than her family had saved her. All her life, she'd been taught to not trust anyone but herself. Electrocide snorted in amusement, "Well you looked like you needed the help."

Sible tried to stand, but winced and plopped down again.

"I'll be right back," Electrocide muttered and darted into the trees. Sible was worried for a moment, what if the brown tom came back? Then she let out a painful mew of amusement; a _kit_ could take that tom right now in the condition he was in!

A few moments later, Electrocide returned with white globs in his mouth. Sible looked on curiously.

"Put these on your wounds," he said quietly, setting the white puffs down.

"What are they?" she asked, still staring at them.

"Cobwebs."

Sible said no more and began pressing them to wherever she was bleeding most. She watched in amazement as the cobwebs absorbed the blood in the shortest amount of time. She saved a little and pressed it to her wounded claw. That should have been healed two days ago, but with all the stuff that had happened recently, she couldn't really blame herself.

"Thanks," she purred, sitting up straighter. She still couldn't get over the fact that she hardly knew this cat and he'd basically risked his life to save her. Well, not _really_ risked his life since he was hardly bleeding at all, he just had a small scratch on his flank. He was a great fighter! Electrocide just shrugged at her and padded over to the stream. In just a few moments, he'd hooked two fish and carried them over. He was _hunting_ for her, too? He had manners just as great as his fighting.

Sible purred her thanks again and began to devour the fish.

She was really going to like this cat.

* * *

**I think this was the chapter I had the most fun writing so far. x)  
Oh and Sible is about a year/season old now, just like half a moon to go, just incase there was any confusion.  
And from now on, the story should actually be getting better with all the Clan stuff, so uh...thats it, I guess.**

**Hope you enjoyed :D!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors.**_

Chapter 10

"Bane!" Tally squeaked in shock as the large gray tom jumped from branch-to-branch carelessly, showing off his long, sharp claws.

"Alright, Bane," Lani meowed, a little worried now, "you'd better come down. You're going to kill yourself!"

Ravenstar heard Barley let out a _mrrow_ of amusement as he stared up at Bane. The gray tom had really outdone himself this morning; he'd caught a finch and three mice. The other four cats hadn't caught nearly as much and Ravenstar could tell Lani was a little disappointed in being beaten. Again.

It had been half a moon since Tally and Bane decided to join EchoClan. They'd had twice as many questions as Lani, though, and Ravenstar thought they wouldn't join the new Clan at all. His jaw had dropped open when they agreed. Bane was a good cat, not to mention a great fighter. Ravenstar and Barley had fought directly with Tally and Bane before, and they would _not _be a disappointment to EchoClan. The black tom had been taking it easy for this half-moon, not really searching for more cats. But his relaxation would end today, for he had made a promise to Bluestar, and he would not disappoint her.

"Bane!" Tally cried louder this time, and Ravenstar blew out of his trance at a large _plop_ on the ground. His eyes stretched wide as he found Bane sprawled out on the leafy ground, a small sparrow in his jaws. Luckily, he hadn't been too far up in the tree for any damage to be done. He flipped back around quickly, and dropped his catch.

"Sorry for the scare, Tally," Bane was on the verge of laughter, and Ravenstar couldn't blame him. Tally's face was still shock-written, her eyes huge and her jaws gaping.

"Why must you do those things to me?" Tally demanded, puffing out her fur to look twice her size. Bane shrugged and pawed the sparrow over to his own fresh-kill pile. Lani snorted in mock-anger and darted into the trees, in search for more prey. Still upset, Tally ran after Lani to get away from the toms.

Ravenstar wasn't really all that surprised that Lani and Tally had become best friends in such a short amount of time. Other than the fact that Tally worried way too much, the two she-cats had almost the same personalities.

Lani's head popped through the branches again, and she stared at Ravenstar.

"You care if we search out further into the territory?" she asked. Ravenstar flicked his tail signaling she waited. The five cats had left Lani's territory almost as soon as Tally and Bane decided to join EchoClan and they just got to this part of the forest two days ago. If one went to explore, they all had to go. None of them knew if there were other cats in this territory, but there were no scent markers to signify that there was.

"We'll leave as soon as we can stretch out jaws wide enough to gather Bane's catch," he purred in amusement, pointing with his tail to Bane's fresh-kill pile. The gray tom had a triumphant glint in his eye as he shoved two mice in his mouth to carry. Ravenstar picked up his own catch, and waited for the others to gather theirs. Once all prey was gathered, the five cats ventured out further into the forest.

**XXX**

Carrying the prey was easier now that the cats had eaten. Ravenstar's jaws ached from holding so much for so long. He was already proud of the little group of cats he'd gathered. Ravenstar had figured it would be much harder to convince cats to join his Clan, though if he went much further, he wouldn't see the point in getting more rogues to join him. Surely the Twoleg's couldn't come _this_ far out into the forest.

He shrugged off the thought, if Bluestar wanted him to do this, he would. He wondered how Firestar was; his old friend had left many moons ago. How were the four Clans getting along in the new territory? He also wondered how Firestar and the other Clan leaders would react when he –or _if _he got there.

"I smell cat!" Barley suddenly blurted out, whipping his head around.

"This way," Lani whispered, flicking with her tail in the direction of bushes and short trees. All the cats set their prey down lightly, and followed Lani into the bushes. Ravenstar's head slid through the leaves easily, and he spotted a ginger she-cat crouching over something, looking scared. He signaled with his tail for the rest of them to stop, he didn't want to be frightening this strange she-cat more than she already seemed to be.

"Hello?" he meowed softly, stepping out fully to reveal himself, the rest stayed hidden. Instinctively, the she-cat bristled and bared her teeth in a snarl.

"Who are you?" she demanded in an unfriendly tone, trying to cover the bundle she was protecting. He noticed another ginger cat, but it was smaller with white patches. The only reason it stood out was because of the red blood streaming from its fur.

"I mean you no harm," Ravenstar meowed, dipping his head respectfully. The she-cat still stood her ground.

"What do you want?" she meowed angrily, her voice shaking with fear. Ravenstar's eyes widened, why was she so terrified of him? Did he look _that_ scary?

"I wont hurt you," he meowed, making sure his claws were sheathed.

"Then _what do you want_?" The she-cat snarled, unsheathing her claws and crouching, ready to spring. She let out a low growl and Ravenstar stepped back, he was, after all, in her territory. He couldn't fight her; she was terrified and weak with hunger. Ravenstar could see her ribs sticking out; she was in no condition to fight, anyway. Then for the first time he noticed her flank. Other than the ribs showing, they were sticky with fresh blood.

"Are you okay?" he asked without thinking. She obviously wasn't. The she-cat launched herself at him, and he purposefully fell over. He didn't want to hurt her, and her weak scratches did nothing to him. Immediately, the rest of his group shot out of the bushes and dragged her off him. Tally ignored the fight and ran over to the bundle of ginger fur Ravenstar had noticed earlier.

"Stay away from my kit!" The she-cat screeched defensively, clawing viciously at Bane and Lani, who were holding her back from Ravenstar. Tally listened, obviously knowing it was not good to interfere with a she-cat and her kits.

"We wont hurt you!" Barley yowled over the she-cats cries. A few moments later, the ginger cat stopped struggling and gasped for breath.

"Please," she begged, "Don't hurt her!"

"Of course we won't hurt her," Tally meowed gently, "Or you, for that matter." The she-cat wailed quietly, pressing her face into the ground.

"Lani, go find cobwebs." Ravenstar ordered, and watched the brown she-cat race off into the trees. Tally silently slid over to the kit and began licking its bloody fur. Ravenstar noticed a slight raise and fall of its body as it breathed, and realized with relief it wasn't dead.

"Who did this to you?" Ravenstar asked the ginger cat. She looked up at him, her face still in the dust.

"I-I don't know…" And with that, she fainted. Ravenstar's eyes went huge and he told Bane to stop guarding her.

"Will she be alright?" Barley asked, padding up and looking worried.

"The mother will be, but obviously a lot's happened to her. I'm not sure about the kit, though..."

Barley nodded and went to check on the kit with Tally. Ravenstar felt guilty about barging in on the ginger she-cat while she was having a moment, but he could help her and her kit. That much he felt better about.

Lani burst back into the space they were all in with many wads of cobweb in her mouth. How had she found so many _that_ fast? He didn't bother asking questions and tore off a chunk to bring to Tally.

The tortoiseshell she-cat already had the ginger kit looking better when he walked over. Before he could set the cobwebs down, Tally yanked them from his mouth quickly and immediately started pressing them into the kit. Ravenstar studied the ginger bundle. It actually wasn't kit sized; it looked as if it could be an apprentice.

Then it occurred to him. _What if these two could join EchoClan?_ Then he wasn't so sure. The mother had been pretty vicious, but what would she think of them treating her and her kit? Would she be grateful, or would she just hate them more for interfering?

**XXX**

"Nia!" Ravenstar's head whipped around to find the ginger she-cat awake, stumbling over to her kit that had survived the night. Before she made her way all the way to the other ginger cat, she stopped dead and stared at the group of cats that were few fox-lengths away.

"Greetings," Ravenstar said, dipping his head. The she-cat stepped back, a worried look on her face.

"Don't you think if we'd have wanted to kill you, we'd have done it by now?" Bane spoke up for the first time, and Tally gasped.

"Shut up, Bane! You'll frighten her!"

"No…" the ginger cat meowed slowly. This was the first time Ravenstar had heard her talk without screeching or clawing.

"No. Thank you…" she finished, pointing her white striped tail toward her kit. Ravenstar nodded, staying where he was.

"Is she alive?" the she-cat asked in a small voice.

"Yes," Tally meowed lightly, "She hasn't woken, but we haven't tried to wake her, either. We thought it was best if she rested."

The ginger cat ran to her kit, wincing in pain at her own wounds. Ravenstar still wondered who would do that to a defenseless she-cat and her kit.

"Nia…" she whispered, gently prodding her kit after finding some place not injured.

"Nia, wake up, darling. Its Mother."

Ravenstar was filled with relief as he saw the kit stir, raising her head lightly, "Mother…" she whispered, resting her head on her paws again with weakness.

"Don't try to move, Nia," the she-cat purred sadly, "you'll hurt yourself. I just…wanted to see if you were okay."

"Is he coming back?" Nia squeaked, her voice rising with every word. She let out a pitiful cough and buried her head in the ground. Ravenstar had seen them both do that when they felt defeated. _Why_?

"No…no, I don't think so. Not for now. You're safe with me."

Nia shot her mother a doubtful glance, and then her gaze flickered over to Ravenstar and his group.

"Who are they?" she asked quietly.

"They're…friends, I guess," The ginger cat meowed uncertainly, "You need to rest some more. I'm sorry I woke you."

Nia looked back at her mother, and then obediently closed her eyes again. Ravenstar was glad to hear that the she-cat thought of them as friends. He guessed she trusted them now. In a few moments, Nia was asleep.

"Are you hungry?" Lani asked, stepping aside to reveal the fresh-kill pile. They'd collected their prey again when the two she-cats were sleeping. They'd all noticed that these cats could use a good meal.

The she-cats eyes were ravenous, but she hesitated.

"You don't even know my name, yet you're doing all these kind things for me. Why?"

"Because we can't stand to see a cat suffer, that's why." Barley meowed, pointing with his tail towards the prey.

The she-cat pressed her face in the dirt. The third time Ravenstar had seen that.

"Hey," Lani meowed, "You don't have to do that, we're not going to control you."

The she-cat looked very doubtful, but lifted her head. "I am Caddie," she mewed, "Thank you."

She padded over to the fresh-kill pile and took the fattest mouse. She tore hungrily into it and ate every scrap there was to it.

"You can have more," Tally meowed, but it sounded more like a question.

"No, thank you very much for your kind offer. I am more full than I have been in a very long time."

"Do you mind telling us who did this to you…?" Ravenstar countered, wondering if Caddie would snap at him.

"His name is Ring." Caddie meowed very quietly, glancing around nervously. "Nia's father. He…he's a very controlling cat. I don't want to live in fear every day of my life…but he _just keeps coming back_. He doesn't let us eat more than half a mouse every other day, and when we don't abide by his rules…this happens." Caddie signaled to Nia, and sighed.

"Will he come back today?" Barley asked, on the verge of growling.

"Yes. I lie to Nia to protect her mind, but he always does. Almost every day."

"_We'll_ take care of him," Bane growled, unsheathing his claws. Caddie gasped, "Oh no! He's very powerful, he could…he could _kill_ one of you!"

"You'd be surprised," Lani mewed, half to herself.

"Then we wait." Tally meowed determinedly, unsheathing her claws to match Bane's.

**XXX**

The sun was falling, and Nia was still asleep. Lani and Tally had moved her to a shady spot by some trees and put a mouse next to her for when she woke. Ravenstar hoped she was still sleeping when her father arrived. Caddie waited nervously with the group for her ex-mate to arrive. She still insisted that they don't try to fight him, but Ravenstar assured her that five cats against one wasn't really something to worry about.

"He's close," Bane growled, sniffing deeper. Ravenstar opened his jaws to taste the air, but he didn't need to smell to know Ring was there. Caddie was bristling with fear, and she couldn't stop shaking.

"It's alright," Ravenstar murmured to the she-cat, letting his claws slide out of their sheaths.

Ravenstar saw a golden-brown tom saunter into the clearing. When Ring noticed the group, his fur bristled and he let out a snarl.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, taking a step forward. Caddie shivered and let out a small cry.

"Who are they?" Ring yowled angrily at Caddie. The she-cat wailed and shoved her face into the dirt. _So __**that's**__ why they do that_, Ravenstar thought. He was surprised that Nia was _still _sleeping, too.

"One step forward and we'll shred you for our bedding," Bane snarled, swatting a claw in Ring's direction. The golden-brown tom hesitated, taking in that there were way more of them than there were of him.

"This is none of your business," he growled, and then glared hatefully at Caddie.

"It would be wise to shut your mouth," Ravenstar meowed calmly, stepping forward.

"Oh you think so?" Ring meowed in mock-amusement, "Well I think it would be wise to get your flea-bitten pelts _out of here_!"

Ravenstar snarled and launched himself at the huge tom. Ring gasped with surprise as he was bowled over and Ravenstar slashed at the tom's flanks. Without signal, the rest of the cats yowled out battle cries and started attacking Ring. The tom yowled in outrage and clawed at any cat he could. Ring struck his claw in the direction of Ravenstar and left a gash in the new leaders forehead. Blood streamed down into his eyes, making him more mad than he already was. The black tom spat angrily and leaped on top of Ring. No cat would get away with doing what he did to Caddie and Nia.

"Stop!" Ravenstar suddenly yowled, and all the cats leaped off Ring. He was surprised that they were actually listening to him, when he wasn't necessarily their leader yet. But Bane stayed closer to Ring.

"Why, Ravenstar?" the gray tom questioned curiously, still panting heavily from the short battle, "We should _kill _him."  
"Indeed we should," the black cat meowed, "But I think it's up to Caddie to decide that."

Ravenstar took a sidelong glance at the ginger she-cat. Her white striped tail swept in the dust nervously, and she shook her head.

"I can't,"

"Yes," Bane meowed, "yes you can."

"No. I can't get hurt more than I already am…you see," Caddie meowed, "I'm carrying kits."

Ravenstar's group all gasped in unison. But she'd seemed so _skinny_. How could she already know? He figured Ring had been starving the poor she-cat, so how could the kits still be alive anyway?

"I hope you die!" Ring growled viciously to his ex-mate, "You and the kits you're carrying. Nia, too! You can all _die_."

"Ah," Ravenstar meowed, purposely in an annoyingly wise voice, "But wasn't she already dead? What life is worth living when you can't live it the way you want to?"

Ring snorted and turned away.

"Oh no you don't," Lani snarled and closed the gap between her and the golden brown tom in one large leap. She bit down hard on his neck and Ring cried out in pain.

"She-cats are so weak, are they?" Lani taunted, raking her claws down the toms flanks. Ravenstar glanced at Caddie. The ginger she-cat looked mesmerized, yet terrified at the same time. His gaze whipped back to Ring and Lani when he heard the loudest yowl in his life.

"I'll kill you all!" Ring screeched, dizzily swatting claws at where Lani was. He was losing so much blood he was beginning to move around distortedly, shrieking out random thoughts.

"Say the words, and I'll make him leave forever," Lani meowed to Caddie, her unsheathed claws aiming for Ring's head. The tom looked at the threatening paw and let out a snicker.

"Kill you…all…" Ring slumped to the ground and squeaked happily. What was _wrong_ with that cat? Without saying anything, Caddie stalked over to Ring.

"You may want to flip those last words around, Dear." She meowed cruelly and swatted a killing blow towards the tom.

**XXX**

Nia woke with the sound of her mothers wailing. Again, Ravenstar was surprised she'd slept through the battle, but that didn't matter right now. Wincing as she stood, she made her way over to her mother and gasped at the scene in front of her. Ravenstar stared sadly at the small she-cat. Nia looked blankly at Rings bloody dead body.

"Father!" she cried suddenly, bounding up to him and ignoring the pain of her wounds. Ravenstar expected her to bow and wail to her father's spirit, or whatever he was now. But instead, Nia let out a snarl of outrage and slashed at Rings face. Ravenstar bowed his head to the small she-cat. She'd put up a lot with that tom, and it was time she got her revenge. He watched as Nia clawed at her father's dead body over and over, finally she stopped and lay down, letting out a small moan.

Caddie had said nothing while she watched Nia's performance. She walked up to her kit and licked her between the ears.

"You're safe now, my sweet Nia."

**XXX**

For the third time, Ravenstar told the story of EchoClan, and how it was soon to be. And again, for the third time, the cats that were asked weren't sure. Caddie and Nia joined after some persuasion, but Ravenstar was sure they'd say no. The biggest issue was StarClan.

Caddie had bristled and almost yowled at Ravenstar, but he'd explained that not all great warriors believed in StarClan. He used Cloudtail for example, Firestar's nephew. He'd also mentioned that for a short time, even Bluestar herself didn't believe in her warrior ancestors.

Ravenstar couldn't believe not a cat had said no yet. He thought the warrior code would be the most difficult to explain, but it turned out that that was the easiest. He struggled most with the leadership discussion. He didn't want any cats to be getting any ideas. Caddie hadn't seemed the least bit interested in that part. She just wanted to know more about StarClan, her position in the Clan, and what her kit's position in the Clan would be.

Despite her sometimes-prickly attitude, she was really a nice and gentle cat. They really needed her.

Maybe there was some home for EchoClan, after all.

* * *

***grin* I hope you enjoyed :D!  
R&R if you want ? It sure would make me happy.~**


	13. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors.**_

**So sorry it took _SO_ long to update! To be honest, there's really no excuse to why I haven't been updating. Other than the fact that I've been having extreme writers block. Believe me, I've tried to write for it, but all the chapters come out absolutely awful. I hope this one is okay! :)  
****Um, just to let you guys know, this chapter is going to be about Ravenstar and his group. I realize that it's supposed to go Sible/Ravenstar, but I'm really limited to writing about Sible right now. I'll let you all know when she'll be coming in again! :)**

* * *

Chapter 11

Ravenstar yawned, stretching his jaws wide and padding quietly out of his make-shift nest. He'd been staying in Caddie's camp with his group until the golden she-cat was well enough to travel.

He sighed, looking up at the stars. He glanced over to where all the cats were sleeping, and yawned once more. Suddenly, a thought that he hated to think about struck him.

_What if EchoClan never succeeds? What if this is all just a failed attempt at making a Clan and we all fail?_

Ravenstar flattened his ears as the wind howled by, whipping at his ears. Narrowing his eyes, he saw clouds slightly cover the moon. Did StarClan not want him to think thoughts like this? He lowered his head, trying to apologize for not believing hard enough.

Ravenstar wondered if he was even cut out to be a Clan cat anymore, but shook his head roughly.

_No, _he thought determinedly, _I'm basically a leader now, I can do this. Besides, I think ThunderClan would enjoy a visit from the long lost Raven_paw.

Stifling a mew of laughter, Ravenstar padded over to his nest, trying once more to get to sleep.

XXX

"Ravenstar, Ravenstar!" A small mew squeaked in his ear. Ravenstar opened his eyes, and then narrowed them against the bright sunlight. Nia was parading around, trying to wake him.

"What is it, Nia?" The black tom asked groggily.

"Mother says we are fit enough to travel!" Nia squealed happily, a purr escaping her jaws. The small she-cat had taken her fathers death quite well, and had even assisted in his burial, which Caddie insisted they had. They were quite forgiving cats, though Ravenstar still believed they hated Ring for what they had done to them.

Another worry the new leader had was about Caddie's kits. Just recently she had found out she was carrying them, and he didn't want them to be hurt on the journey. They were still _days_ away from getting anywhere near sun-drown-place. Ravenstar had no idea how long it would take them to get to sun-drown-place, not to mention getting lost on the way there.

"Really?" he asked, sitting up and stretching. By now, Nia had calmed down enough to sit in front of him. Beckoning with his tail for the young cat to follow, Ravenstar padded over to where Caddie was talking to Lani.

"You're well enough to travel?" he mewed once he'd gotten Caddie's attention.

"I believe I am," the golden cat mewed, her white striped tail swaying back and fourth. "I'd have to be in another battle for the wounds to open again, and I don't think traveling could hurt me _too_ much. Besides, I'm a strong cat!"

Ravenstar let out a _mrrow_ of amusement, Caddie was always so sure about everything, but that was one of her good qualities.

"So when will we set off?" Lani asked, narrowing her eyes playfully at Nia, who'd been begging for a play-fight since she'd woken.

"Sun-high," Ravenstar meowed, waiting for the other cats' approval. The others all nodded.

"Sun-high it is," Lani confirmed, her paws itching to start traveling again.

XXX

Sun-high came and went, and the group was still walking when the sun was setting. Not a cat had complained they were tired yet, and that was a good sign. Ravenstar glanced over all of them to make sure they were okay, and then started ahead again.

"Has Bluestar visited you lately?" Barley asked suddenly, startling the black tom.

"Uh–no!" Ravenstar blurted out at the sudden question. Barley looked at him questionably and then nodded slowly. Ravenstar sighed, wondering just _when_ Bluestar would show up. He was starting to lose direction, and decided to make camp where they were.

It wasn't much of a clearing, but there was an old den with the slightest trace of fox scent. So stale, it had to be almost a moon old since the creature was last there.

The small group fit snuggly in the den, yet Ravenstar still wasn't able to sleep. A small patch of moonlight seeped through the opening of the den, and Ravenstar looked at the sleeping forms of his new friends. He hoped he'd get a sign tonight, showing him where to go.

Suddenly, a sweet cat scent wafted over him. Whipping his head up, Ravenstar tried to make out where the scent was coming from. Standing up slowly, he followed it until he was led outside the den. Glancing upward, Ravenstar caught sight of Spottedleaf, sitting on a nearby rock.

"Spottedleaf!" he gasped, racing towards the starry tortoiseshell she-cat.

"Looking for a sign?" she asked in an amused tone. Ravenstar shuffled his paws.

"Well…err…yes?"

"Look to the sun…"

"Erm, do you mind repeating that? Look to the sun?" Ravenstar asked, perplexed. But the StarClan warrior had vanished, leaving her sweet scent in the breeze. The black tom thought over what she had said: _Look to the sun._

"Does that mean follow the sun?" he wondered aloud. Figuring it was his only chance at finding sun-drown-place, he decided that was the only way. Follow the sun.

XXX

After finding out the directions, Ravenstar had gotten a goodnight sleep. All worries aside, the tom stood up and began waking the others. Tally and Bane had already been awake, and had caught enough prey for the whole group to eat that morning.

"Thank you, I would have forgotten all about food if you two hadn't hunted!" Ravenstar purred. Lani was already trying to finding out how to beat Bane at his hunting, and had scheduled a battle for them to have in the future. Ravenstar laughed, all of these cats were getting along, and that was great to know.

Swiping his tongue over his jaws, Ravenstar announced that they leave while the sun was rising.

_Look to the sun,_ he thought over and over. None of the other's questioned his judgment on where they were going.

While walking, Ravenstar thought back on when he Firestar, and Graystripe were still apprentices. How they had all risen since then. Still, Ravenstar felt weird when being called by his leader name. He never really had been a warrior, he had never been _Ravenwing._

Thinking back to present times, Ravenstar noticed that he'd been staring at the sun too long. Blinking the glare from his eyes, he kept his gaze lowered just below the sun, so he wouldn't lose his direction.

_Will Firestar be happy to see me? _He wondered worriedly, _was Firestar even okay? Alive, even?_

Shuddering at the thought, Ravenstar kept his mind on other things. Like finding more cats, for example.

Suddenly, a whirl of gray and white fur came hurtling towards the group, knocking Ravenstar and Bane over.

"Get off of our territory!" came a tom's voice. A young tom, by the sound of it.

"And stay off!" another voice commanded.

"Don't attack!" Ravenstar yowled to his group, noticing how small their attackers were. There were three of them, and they were just about the size of apprentices, like Nia.

"Get off me, you mangy fur ball," spat Bane, knocking a she-cat to the side.

"Hey!" All three of them protested at once.

"Peace, young ones," Caddie's soothing voice mewed. Nia's fur was puffed up so she looked twice her size, obviously not wanting to look like the weakest cat of the group.

"Peace?" the young gray and white tom scoffed, flattening his ears, "How can there be peace when there's enemies on our territory!"

"Shut up, Moss, don't you realize there's more of them than there is of us?" a small blue-gray she-cat hissed, her blue eyes flashing. Another she-cat stood off to the side, the same big blue eyes round with fear.

"Well, we have Father to protect us!" the tom retorted.

Right on cue, a large longhaired white tom came crashing through the bushes, a snarl masked on his face. Stepping forward so he was in front of the three young cats, he let out a growl.

"What are you doing here?"

"We don't mean any harm," Ravenstar meowed quickly, "We're just passing through."

"Oh, like I haven't heard that before. If you're just passing through, then why bring such a large amount of cats?" the white tom snarled.

"Like it's any of your business," Lani growled, unsheathing her claws, "But we're traveling. You get it? _Tra-vel-ing._"

"Don't treat me like a kit," the rogue hissed, unsheathing his claws and looking more threatening than Lani.

"I said we don't mean any harm." Ravenstar meowed, louder this time.

"Well _I_ said—" before the white tom could finish, Lani hurtled herself at him, bowling him over and clawing at his flank.

"Father!" the smallest she-cat wailed in fright, launching herself at Lani.

"Don't you dare harm the young cats!" Ravenstar hissed to his group, running over to try and knock Lani off the white tom.

"I said no harm, Lani!" Ravenstar growled, shoving the she-cat off the rogue. Both cats were bleeding slightly, but Lani was bleeding more from the small gray she-cats attempts at fighting her.

The rest of Ravenstar's group was just trying to dodge the other small cats' moves.

"_What were you _thinking?" Ravenstar asked Lani in disbelief, ignoring the white tom's growls towards them.

"I'm sorry! I–err…lost my temper." Lani mewed guiltily, bowing her head. For once, Ravenstar felt like a true leader.

"Uhm…" Ravenstar started, not sure what to say. He flicked his tail, signaling Lani went to stand with the others.

"I'm truly sorry for her behavior," Ravenstar said, dipping his head to the rogue.

"Whoa!" The white tom suddenly burst out, staring at Lani in envy. "I've never met a cat that could beat me in a fight! Especially with one of my kits attached to their side."

Ravenstar's jaw dropped. Was this just how cats were like on this side of the forest? Shaking his head, he stared at the rogue in wonder.

"_What?" _Lani asked, just as perplexed as Ravenstar. The toms 'kits' eyes gleamed in appreciation at their father.

The white tom looked confused now, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just said.

"Um…" the rogue meowed, glancing over his kits, "None of you were hurt, right?" Before the kits could answer, Tally meowed, "None of us would ever harm a cat young enough to be an apprentice."

Ravenstar was shocked, and stared at Tally. She'd been paying attention to the Clan discussion! He was proud to know that the she-cat had picked out easily which cats were old enough to be an apprentice or not.

"A…what?" the rogue asked, interested and confused at the same time. Ravenstar's ears pricked at the thought of them joining EchoClan. But then he forced himself to calm down. He'd been lucky to get this many cats in the first place, he couldn't just jump into he conversation like any other. Besides, he didn't know if this weird rogue was still hostile towards them.

It seemed that right when the white tom's attitude changed, his kits' did too. Ravenstar's ears twitched in confusion.

"An apprentice is what a Clan calls a cat in training to become a warrior."

"Did you say _Clan_ cat?" the tom asked. Ravenstar nodded.

"Don't be rude father!" The small gray she-cat spoke up, puffing up her fur, "tell them your name!"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry, my name is Aria." The white tom meowed, seemingly more interested in the word Clan than telling the cats his name. Ravenstar noticed all signs of hostility were _vanished_ at the word, too.

"I'm Mint," the gray she-cat mewed, and then pointed with her tail to the other two. "This is my sister Misty, and my brother Moss."

Ravenstar bowed his head to the cats, and then looked at Aria again.

"You know about the Clans?" Ravenstar asked. Aria nodded.

"An old cat named Purdy told me about them, I didn't think he was telling the truth."

Ravenstar gasped, this cat knew Purdy? Were they that far already? He shook his head slightly, Purdy was a traveling cat, Brambleclaw had told Ravenstar about him, and so Purdy had probably come this way on his own. Perhaps if Purdy were still alive, he could help them find their way to sun-drown-place.

"Are _you_ a Clan cat?" Aria asked, his eyes huge with admiration.

"I am," Ravenstar meowed, sitting up straighter.

"I'm honored to meet you," Aria meowed, glancing around, looking like he didn't know what to say next. Ravenstar knew he couldn't rush the whole Clan bit, so he decided to ask a few more questions.

"What do you know about the Clans?"

"Well, I know that there's a leader, warriors, a cat that heals, apprentices, kit-bearers, and elders…?" Aria narrowed his eyes, trying to remember.

"Very good," Ravenstar's eyes widened at the cat's knowledge, "Would you happen to know where this Purdy is now?"

"I'm sorry. No." the tom meowed, uncertain.

"Can we join your Clan!?" Mint burst out, her face glowing with excitement.

Aria gasped and slapped his tail over his daughter's mouth. Ravenstar stared at the small cat in respect. She'd known that this pitiful small group of cats was soon to be a Clan. Ravenstar figured Mint would be a clever cat.

"No, it's fine. I was actually going to talk to you about that." _Every cat and Clan a chance…_Lionheart's words rang through Ravenstar's mind.

"_Us?_" Aria meowed in disbelief.

"You see…" Ravenstar began, telling Aria about the prophecy, and about Bluestar, and all the unbelievable things that had happened to him these past moons.

XXX

"We'll join." Aria meowed determinedly. His kits nodded eagerly. They'd been just as interested as their father. All three of them were parading around boasting about how _they_ of all cats, were going to be apprentices. Ravenstar let out a meow of amusement.

"That's great!" Ravenstar purred, "You four wont be a disappointment to the Clan."

Judging on how Aria had fought Lani, he definitely _wouldn't _be a disappointment. Lani had only won the short battle…well… because Lani was an extremely strong cat, and Ravenstar hadn't seen her lose a battle once.

The smallest gray she-cat, Mint, walked over to where Nia was standing, and introduced herself. Happy to be getting some attention, Nia eagerly fired off conversation with Mint, most likely hoping to make new friends.

With Aria, Ravenstar had hardly had to tell him about the Clans. Purdy had already beaten him to it, it seemed.

When his group of eleven cats was ready, they took off to find more cats, and to find sun-drown-place.

Purring happily to himself, Ravenstar looked to the sun.

* * *

**Gee, I sure hope I still have readers! Again, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in FOREVER! **

**Oh yeahhh, Aria is kind of a weird cat, if you can't tell by his odd mood swings. **_**But,**_** he's cool. (:  
Also, I'm terribly sorry if this chapter seemed rushed, I just really need to get the actual story  
going. So the next few chapters will feature Ravenstar just gathering the rest of the kitties!**

**Reviews would be nice!**

**xRyu**


	14. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 12

Ravenstar's group had made good progress. They'd been traveling for two suns, and hadn't gotten lost once. Well, to Ravenstar's knowledge, anyway. The morning before, the cats _had_ wandered a little to the side, but Spottedleaf's scent wreathed around Ravenstar to guide him correctly again. It felt good to have StarClan watching over him again.

_Perhaps they'd never stopped watching over me, _Ravenstar pondered the thought, while keeping his gaze just below the sun.

"Ravenstar," the tom looked behind him to find Nia and Mint dragging in the dust.

"Nia, what's wrong?" Caddie asked before Ravenstar had a chance, rushing towards her daughter nervously.

"I'm tired…" the golden she-cat mumbled, exchanging a swift glance to her new friend, Mint. Both of them looked sleep deprived, now that they mentioned it.

"Well, maybe if you didn't stay up all night gossiping, you would be more likely to travel!" Caddie scolded, staring Nia down. Ravenstar didn't blame the two she-cats for staying up too late. They'd just wanted to get to know each other more, and they were getting along fine.

"No, Caddie, it's all right. We needed to stop and hunt soon anyways. I think we all could use a quick rest." Ravenstar padded over to them, flicking his tail to Barley to signal he take the lead.

"Oh, all right," Caddie mewed, giving her daughter a quick stern glance. Nia flattened her ears, looking guilty. Mint rested her tail on her new friends shoulder, her gaze now fixed on the front where her father was padding along, talking to Bane. She looked relived; obviously hoping her father hadn't heard what they were saying.

"Don't think I didn't hear that, Mint," Aria called, not bothering to look behind him. "You'll be helping this Clan hunt this evening. You're not going to sit around like a log and nap because _you_ stayed up all night."

Ravenstar's ears perked. Aria had called this a _Clan._ The black tom purred. _I suppose it is sort of a Clan now. Just without warrior names and positions. Not to mention, no warrior code, _he thought, _Well, We're working on it!_

Mint sighed, her head and tail drooping.

**XXX**

Ravenstar stalked the undergrowth of the small wood area. It was just like a small forest, he thought, staring around at the newly growing trees. The wind seemed to smack him in the face with a strong scent of mouse. Instinctively crouching lower to the ground, he followed the delicious scent.

There it was. Chewing obliviously on a seed. The poor creature had no idea what was coming for it.

Suddenly, the mouse froze. Ravenstar copied its movement.

_Mousedung! I'm not even that close yet, how could it have scented me?_

Out of the thick undergrowth, a whirl of blue-gray fur appeared, claws unsheathed, fangs wide with hunger. The mouse stood no chance against the ferocious hunter.

"Great catch, Mint!" he called, racing out of his hiding spot to congratulate the small cat.

"Oh…thank you! That wasn't your mouse, was it?" she asked curiously, looking rather ashamed.

"No, I was just watching your hunting skills," Ravenstar lied easily, looking amused when a wave of relief swirled off Mint.

"Okay, well, I'm going to hunt some more!" Mint's tiredness seemed to have disappeared. Twitching his whiskers, Ravenstar dove back into the leaves.

Ravenstar had caught a blackbird and a vole, and when he padded back to where the rest of his _Clan_ was, he noticed a small fresh-kill pile building up. Did Misty and Moss know how to hunt? Ravenstar nodded to himself, _Most likely, if Mint can._

These would be easy cats to train.

"Ravenstar," Aria's voice came from behind him. He was carrying two mice and set them down at his paws so he could speak with the black tom.

"Yes?" Ravenstar mewed, wondering what the white cat could have to say.

"There are more cats here that know about the Clans."

Ravenstar gasped, "Really?" Aria nodded, and continued to speak. "They live with housefolk—pretty soft cats—but I know of one who could be an improvement to this Clan…er…if you don't mind."

"Does this housecat know of the Clans?" Ravenstar asked curiously.

"Yes, yes. Of course, Purdy told almost this entire area of Clans. She lives not even a day away, if we rest and then walk like planned, we will make it to the housefolk place tonight."

"We'll have to meet her, she sounds like a knowledgeable cat so far, and I trust your judgment, Aria. What is her name?"

"Her name is Precious, a very bright ginger she-cat. I think she may be carrying kits like Caddie, from last I heard. I usually stay in her garden when I travel to the housefolk area."

"Sounds great!" Ravenstar purred, "We need more queens, as it is. Thank you for your help, Aria. You're a good cat."

Aria looked slightly embarrassed to be getting such praise from a _Clan leader_. He was, after all, a big fan of the Clans.

"Oh uhm…one more thing," Aria started as Ravenstar was about to head over to drop his catch at the fresh-kill pile. Ravenstar twitched his ears, signaling Aria speak.

"She's got quite the mother. Very overprotective, and that could be a quarrel waiting to happen."

"I'm sure we can handle it," Ravenstar meowed, letting laughter escape his jaws.

Aria nodded, following the black tom to the prey pile.

**XXX**

Ravenstar didn't sleep. The sun was reaching its highest point in the sky, which was when the cats were supposed to start waking up and traveling again. All of their bellies were full from eating the prey. The cats had finished every piece on the pile, and fell asleep quickly after their meal. All except Ravenstar, that is.

"Did you sleep, _at all_?" a she-cats voice almost laughed from behind him. His head whipped around to see Lani, looking at him with amused eyes. Her long front fangs were intimidating, especially when they glinted in the sunlight. She looked like the perfect rogue, yet she just wasn't anymore. She was the first cat Ravenstar and Barley had found, and she was fiercely loyal.

"A bit," Ravenstar lied, flicking his tail in amusement. Lani stretched, yawned loudly, and began waking the other cats.

"Barley," Lani meowed, shaking the tom. All the other cats were awake and stirring, while Barley refused to wake.

"No…stop, I'm about to catch the best pheasant I've seen in moons," the black-and-white tom grumbled, swatting a sheathed paw at Lani. The brown she-cat let out a _mrrow_ of laughter, shoving Barley on his side.

"Whoa! How long was I out for?" Barley asked, leaping up, alert and fully awake. "Not long, you were just dreaming, that's all," Ravenstar purred, padding over to his friend and flicking him on the ear with his tail. Ravenstar remembered earlier that day, his and Aria's conversation.

"Aria," he meowed, beckoning to the white tom. Aria walked uncertainly over to the front of the group.

"Lead the way, you know where to go." Ravenstar ordered, stepping back behind the white cat.

**XXX**

The cats were heading towards a Twoleg place. All of their pelts began to bristle except for Aria's and his kits. Had _they_ been kittypets for a while? The question gnawed at Ravenstar like a tick on his ear, but he knew better than to ask such a personal question. Aria would tell him in due time, he thought. That or one of his kits would blurt something out to make the subject obvious. Shrugging, Ravenstar padded on.

"She lives right over this fence, and she may be outside. Night is her favorite time." Aria whispered, flicking his tail at a tall rock wall. It resembled somewhat of a fence, yet it seemed fancier somehow.

"Stay here," Ravenstar ordered quietly to his group, hopping lightly over the rock wall with Aria at his side.

"Do you really think she'll join?" Ravenstar asked uncertainly, shuffling his paws.

Whatever Aria was about to say got cut off by another cat's voice. Ravenstar's ears twitched downward where he could hear a she-cats voice calling.

"Aria? Is that you?" a she-cat called; emerging from the garden bushes, moonlight bathing her beautiful pelt silver.

"Yes, Precious, it's me. Could you come up here, please? I have to talk to you." Aria meowed, looking rather uncertain himself. Ravenstar thought he was probably nervous about asking her to join EchoClan, too.

"Sure," Precious meowed, easily leaping up onto her rock wall next to the two toms. "Who's your friend?"

"I am Ravenstar," the black tom meowed, dipping his head to Precious. The ginger she-cats amber eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"Raven…_star_…" she meowed, her head tilting to the side in thought. Suddenly her glinting eyes widened, her jaws gaping in shock.

"Star, star! I know what that means. It means…you're from…a _Clan!_" Precious blurted out, looking slightly embarrassed afterwards.

"Wow." Ravenstar's own eyes widened, and then he let out a _mrrow _of laughter.

"I'm sorry," Precious murmured, and then looked Ravenstar straight in the eye. "You _are_ from a Clan though, right?"

Ravenstar nodded.

"Aria!" Precious gasped, "How did you find him? He's from a _Clan!_ Oh, I can't believe it!"

"Actually, my kits found him." Aria laughed, shrugging at Ravenstar.

"I come to ask you something important, Precious." Ravenstar began, trying to remain calm. _This may not work_, he sighed to himself. But then again, Precious did seem _extremely_ anxious to learn more about the Clans.

Precious nodded, looking at Ravenstar in question.

"I'd like you to join EchoClan." Ravenstar meowed nervously; trying to keep his head raised high.

Precious howled with delight.

"_Me_ in a _Clan?_ Oh I just cannot believe this is happening to me of all cats! I know practically all about them. About leaders, and deputies and…what are they called? Oh! Medicine cats, and queens, and—"

"Shut _up_!" Came an angry growl, a battered old ginger she-cat shouldered her way through a small cat flap from the Twoleg door. "Whats a cat got to do to get some sleep around here? Claw their own ears off?"

Precious looked started for a moment, as did Ravenstar and Aria. Then Precious relaxed, her ginger fur lying flat again.

"Oh, hello, Mother." She mewed, glancing over to the pale ginger cat that was sauntering over to them.

"That's the mother you were talking about?" Ravenstar whispered to Aria, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Yes, that's her. Her name is Kelsha, a real hard cat to get along with."

"Hey!" Kelsha snarled, baring her teeth at the two toms. "I'm old, not deaf. I can _hear_ you!"

Ravenstar felt ashamed, gossiping about an elder. Well, he didn't mean to! It wasn't like he asked Aria about her personality, or— Ravenstar flattened his ears in guilt, there was no loophole for getting around this one.

"What are you young cats blabbering about that's so important that you woke me up for, anyway?"

"This black tom here, Ravenstar, wants me to join a Clan! Can you believe it, Mother, he's from a Clan!" Precious purred, her face lighting up with happiness.

"No." Kelsha said blankly, her face showing no emotion as she scrabbled up the rock wall to stand beside her daughter.

"What?" Precious asked in disbelief, her face falling with sadness.

"You heard me. No. You have too good of a life to go wandering off with some random rogues."

"They are not 'random rogues', Mother! You know perfectly well that Aria is my friend, and this tom here, his name is Ravenstar."

"Like I care what their names are. Rogues will be rogues," Kelsha snorted.

Ravenstar's neck fur began to bristle. This cat had called him a _rogue! _He was a Clan leader for StarClan's sake, and he was going to prove it.

"I mean no disrespect, Kelsha. But I am no rogue, I am a Clan leader, and I would appreciate some respect." Ravenstar meowed boldly, raising his chin a bit higher. Precious looked at him admirably.

"Excuse me?" Kelsha growled, "I am an elder, and _I _would like some respect."

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe I did anything to offend you. Or disrespect you."

Kelsha's eyes narrowed with rage, and every piece of fur on her pelt was sticking up.

"Mother, calm down," Precious meowed nervously. Ravenstar felt guilty again, but he had done the right thing. He'd stood up for his place as a leader.

"You didn't do anything to offend me?" Kelsha snarled, "You prance in here, like some great cat, and try to snatch my daughter away without a twitch of a whisker! See that you get your mangy pelt out of my garden."

Kelsha growled and jumped off the rock wall. She stalked back into her Twoleg nest without a single glance back.

"No, Mother it wasn't like that!" Precious cried, racing towards the nest. Giving one last guilt-filled glance at the two toms she meowed, "I'll be in my garden in the morning. I've got to calm her down." With that, the she-cat easily slid into the Twoleg nest.

"Ravenstar, I'm so sorry!" Aria gasped, he'd been quiet throughout the entire quarrel and he looked rather ashamed.

"Don't worry about it, it's about time I've been rejected by a cat. This has all been too easy so far. We'll sleep on the other side of this rock wall with the rest of the Clan until Precious comes out and we can hear her final answer."

Aria nodded, and looked a little better.

"Really, Aria, don't worry. I'm not the least bit mad. I can see Kelsha's point though, we _did_ just intrude on their territory and ask her daughter to change her life forever."

**XXX**

"Aria, Ravenstar?" the black tom woke to a gentle prodding in the shoulder. His green eyes looked up to see Precious, sitting in front of him and Aria with her tail wrapped neatly around her paws.

"Are you okay?" was the first thing that came to Ravenstar's mind. Precious looked a bit amused, but nodded.

"Sorry about last night. My Mother can be a real pain."

"She's just looking out for you." Ravenstar reasoned.

"Still."

"Are you going to join?" Aria blurted out, rising to his paws. Ravenstar glared at him briefly. _What was he _thinking_?_

Precious let out a _mrrow _of laughter.

"Of course I am. What use am I staying here? I want to be worth something in my life. To make something of myself."

Ravenstar purred, but then felt a bit uneasy.

"What about Kelsha, what will she think?" he asked.

"My Mother can suck it up. She's been controlling my life since, obviously, the day I was born. It's time I made my own decisions." Precious said determinedly. Ravenstar nodded, and felt proud of the she-cat.

"Uhm…Precious?" Aria began nervously. The ginger she-cat looked at him with question in her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Are you…carrying kits?" he asked uncertainly. Precious purred. "Yes I am, no need to be afraid to ask me, Aria. It's not like I'll claw your ears off for such a simple question."

Ravenstar then wondered if the only reason Kelsha was acting so grumpy was because Precious was carrying kits. Perhaps that was why she was so over-protective of her daughter.

"You won't be a disappointment to the Clan," Ravenstar meowed, dipping his head to Precious.

**XXX**

The sun was highest in the sky, and the cats were getting ready to leave. After the group had hunted, they began to walk towards their destination. During their previous meal, Precious had asked a few questions about the Clan, and how it was to be created. They were more in-depth and less basic. She and Aria had pretty much known all the basic things about Clans.

When Ravenstar was finished getting every single cat needed for this Clan, he would then start the more in-depth conversations. He had a ways to go, and hoped Bluestar would visit him or send him some sort of sign to show him when he had enough cats.

Suddenly, Ravenstar heard a low wailing sound. The group whipped around to see a cat scrambling towards them, already out of breath.

"Wait!" the cat yowled, Ravenstar was shocked when he found out it was Kelsha, Precious's mother.

"Mother!" Precious gasped, rushing towards the elder.

"I'm so sorry, Precious. Don't leave me here alone." Kelsha begged, her breaths coming in raggedly from her run.

"What do you want me to do?" Precious wailed, seemingly stuck between two.

"You'll do nothing, dear Precious. _I_ will come with you."

* * *

**R&R please!  
Reviews always make my day :)**

**Just a quick thing:  
If you were wondering, Precious's kits are _not_** **Aria's.  
Sorry, it just seemed like they might have been, seeing as the way I wrote it.**

**Oooh, in your reviews, could you tell me who your favorite cat  
in this story is? (One of the cats I made up. Not Ravenpaw/Barley etc)  
I hope its getting better and more exciting for you to read!**

**Oh and there will most likely be a sequel to this story. It would be about how EchoClan settles into the lake territory, and it will be in the POV of a different cat. (This cat will be mentioned in later chapters of this story)  
Here's a small spoiler: her name will be ...dun dun dun... Echokit! :)**


	15. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors.**_

* * *

Chapter 13

Every cat gasped, and Precious staggered back a few steps.

"W-what, Mother?" she asked, her eyes round with disbelief.

"You heard me," Kelsha almost growled, keeping her eyes calm and unreadable. Ravenstar was completely shocked. This old cat had insulted him, snapped at him, and acted like she'd hated him! Why would she want to be in a Clan lead by this tom?

_For Precious, _Ravenstar reminded himself.

"Well?" Kelsha asked, "Am I welcome in this so called Clan of yours or are you going to kick an old she-cat like me back to my housefolk?"

"Of course not!" Ravenstar breathed, bowing his head slightly to Kelsha. He noticed Lani looked hurt, as if stung by the thought of Ravenstar doing something like that. "You are completely welcome in this Clan," Ravenstar meowed boldly, raising his head a bit higher. Precious purred happily, walking quickly towards her mother.

"I'm so glad you decided to come!" she meowed; now standing side-by-side with Kelsha.

"Yes well, if it weren't for you, I'd be sleeping in my soft feather-filled bed right now." Kelsha retorted, her claws unsheathing in a mock attempt at threatening.

"_Kittypets_!" Barley laughed, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. Precious looked at the tom with a confused look, and Ravenstar vowed to explain everything to her in due time.

**XXX**

"Hey!" a she-cat's voice suddenly meowed loudly, nearly making Ravenstar jump out of his fur.

"Shut your muzzle and talk quieter," Kelsha snapped, looking at Precious sternly. Ravenstar realized that this was the cat that had just spoken.

"Yes, did you need something?" he asked, his voice on the verge of laughter.

"You're still looking for cats for EchoClan, right, Ravenstar?" Precious asked, padding up towards the front of the group to talk to the black tom. Ravenstar nodded curiously, and Precious looked excited.

"We could ask Hawk and Owl," She suggested, her eyes shining at the thought of helping the new Clan.

"That's a great idea!" Aria's voice sounded from one side of the group. Before Ravenstar had a chance to reply, Kelsha rolled her eyes and meowed, "I don't see how you're going to get Owl out of that nest of his. Hawk, I can see considering the idea."

"Is Owl a bird?" Moss asked curiously. Kelsha looked at him like he'd grown another head.

"Well you _said_ he lived in a _nest_!" Moss meowed defensively. Misty jabbed her brother with a claw and told him to shut up. Aria glared at his son, and then rolled his eyes and turned his head away. Tally and Bane snickered.

"No, Moss," Precious laughed, "Owl is a cat, and a nest is what he lives in, like a housefolk nest. Sort of like that, except he doesn't have housefolk to look after him."

"Oh," Moss mumbled, looking embarrassed.

"They live not far from here," Precious was telling Ravenstar, who had stayed quiet during this whole exchange. "Owl is a grumpy rogue, but his younger brother Hawk can talk him into anything. They'd be nothing without each other." Precious shrugged, looking at Ravenstar to see his answer.

"We'll ask them," he confirmed, letting Precious take the lead to where they lived.

**XXX**

"This is it," Precious mewed, looking up at the huge towering Twoleg nest.

"You sure its abandoned?" Barley asked uncertainly.

"Guaranteed," the ginger she-cat meowed, stepping through the Twoleg door. Ravenstar noticed the walls on one side of this nest were caving in, and no Twoleg would want to live like that. Shrugging, he followed Precious inside.

"Who's there?" a voice growled from the darkness.

"Oh, Owl, its just me, Precious," the she-cat meowed. "No need to seem so threatening. Now come out where we can see you."

"_We_?" the voice echoed, stepping out of the shadows to reveal a brown tabby tom with glinting amber eyes. Ravenstar would have mistaken this cat for Tigerstar, except the shoulders weren't as broad, and the face didn't seem to have a permanent snarl masked to it.

"Oh," Owl meowed, looking alarmed at how many cats were in his nest.

_Maybe some of them should have waited outside_…Ravenstar wondered, twitching his ears nervously.

"I forgot to mention I brought some friends along," Precious purred, her whiskers quivering with amusement.

"Well what do you want?" he asked, obviously growing impatient. Again, before Ravenstar could reply, Kelsha shoved her way through the crowd of anxious cats and sat before Owl.

"You want to join a Clan or what? Hurry up and decide, because there's daylight wasting."

Ravenstar gasped, how could Kelsha be so thoughtless?!

"A Clan?" Owl repeated, suddenly his gaze locked with Precious's. "Is this more of that Clan cat nonsense you're always pestering me about?"

"It most certainly isn't nonsense if you see one standing in front of you," Precious meowed defensively, flicking her tail to the large group of cats. Owl looked nervous now that his attention was brought back to the group.

"So they really exist? Clans and everything?" the tabby tom meowed nervously.

"Obviously," Kelsha meowed, rolling her eyes with impatience.

"I'm sorry," Ravenstar meowed quickly, stepping in front of Kelsha. "I'm Ravenstar. Leader of the soon-to-be EchoClan."

"Soon to be?" Owl questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"You see, it's a Clan in…well…_progress_." Ravenstar wasn't sure what word to use, and that seemed like the most logical one to describe his situation.

"I see," Owl meowed, his amber eyes still narrowed.

Suddenly, an identical tom to Owl leaped through one of the holes in the wall, carrying prey in his jaws.

The tom stopped dead in his tracks once he landed on the soft Twoleg floor.

"Who are they?" the cat questioned nervously after setting the fresh-kill down.

"A group of insane cats, asking me to join a _Clan_. They were just leaving." Owl growled, flicking his tail to signal the group to leave. Precious puffed up her fur angrily, and the new cats eyes widened.

"A Clan?" he meowed, asking the same question as Owl did earlier.

"Hawk, tell your brother to at least _consider_ the idea!" Precious begged.

"No its fine, Precious, we're obviously not welcome here," Ravenstar meowed calmly, turning around.

"No, wait!" Hawk cried out. "Do you know how much of an honor it would be to join a Clan?"

Ravenstar thought Hawk was just voicing his thoughts, but apparently he'd been talking to Owl, who simply growled at him and turned away. Ravenstar then wondered how many cats here actually knew about the Clans, and would have to stop accepting offers for more cats. The most important thing right now was to find a medicine cat and begin on their journey again.

"So are you going to go off and leave with this group of cats you don't even know?" Owl growled. The tabby toms eyes looked hurt, as if he'd been betrayed.

"I never said that," Hawk growled back, his voice easily matching his brothers exactly.

Ravenstar sighed. This would be exactly like Precious and Kelsha all over again. As if to make it official, Hawk meowed, "I'll talk to him about it. He doesn't know what a great opportunity he's missing. Please…you can wait here tonight." Hawk leaped over a pile of Twoleg rubble after his brother, who, in the short time that Ravenstar was lost in his thoughts, had left.

The new leader had no choice but to agree, much to Kelsha's irritation.

"Why does this Hawk want to join so badly? We never even introduced ourselves," Ravenstar wondered aloud. Kelsha was the one to reply.

"Because Hawk has been padding after Precious for moons, and wanting to be involved in everything she does. Even _after_ finding out Precious was carrying kits, his hopes never got shot down."

"I'm not even with Sail anymore, Mother!" Precious growled, obviously trying to stick up for Hawk, although he wasn't even in earshot of them anymore. Kelsha just lay down, ignoring her daughter.

"We might as well get some rest," she grumbled, trying to get comfortable on the Twoleg floor. Ravenstar glanced outside and noticed the sun was falling. Had they really been there that long? Shrugging, the tom lay down with the rest of his group, and fell asleep a moment later.

**XXX**

"_Ravenstar," a distant voice was calling for the tom. Ravenstar found himself in a soft mossy clearing, the stars shining down on him._

"_Yes?" he answered calmly, looking around curiously. Suddenly, out of a nearby bush, a familiar blue-gray she-cat emerged, stars shining in her fur._

"_You are worrying about a medicine cat, correct?" Bluestar wanted to know, now sitting right in front of him._

"_I am," the black tom meowed, now seeing where this conversation was going._

"_You mustn't worry. All of StarClan have faith in you. EchoClan's future medicine cat will be easy to find once you understand."_

_Bluestar began to fade, and in her place was a speckled leaf. Ravenstar padded closer to it, and examined it curiously. It was a light shade of brown, and on one side there was a white patch. Looking at the other corner of it, he noticed there was a black spot. Did this mean the color of the cats fur? He wondered, sniffing at the leaf. A strong scent of herbs wafted from it, making Ravenstar wrinkle his nose and sneeze. _

**XXX**

Ravenstar's sneeze woke him out of his dreams and he sighed. Breathing in the scents of the abandoned Twoleg nest, he realized that the herb-like scent was still in his nose. The tom tried to memorize the scent before it drifted away, and pictured the oddly colored leaf in his dream.

Ravenstar sat up, and watched the sun rise slowly over the hills beyond. Turning his head at the sound of one of his Clan mates moving, he noticed Barley was waking.

"Morning, Ravenstar," Barley yawned, stretching. Ravenstar nodded, then looked around for Owl and Hawk. Were they still sleeping? Did Hawk get Owl to reconsider? Ravenstar wondered, narrowing his eyes to see better in the dark nest. As if to answer his thoughts, a brown tabby tom stalked through Twoleg rubble, towards the sleeping group.

"Good morning, Owl," Ravenstar started, figuring being polite would make the tom more comfortable.

"Well, what about this Clan?" Owl asked grumpily.

"Um… what do you want to know?" Ravenstar asked.

"What would I be?"

"A warrior," Ravenstar answered automatically.

"And Hawk?"

"A warrior, like you," Ravenstar figured both of these cats were over twelve moons old, and had the potential to be warriors. Besides, every one of them would be trained like apprentices in the beginning, anyways.

"What do warriors do, besides fight?" Owl wanted to know.

"They protect and defend their Clan, hunt, go on border patrols…" Ravenstar went on, and then added, "They pretty much do anything they want, _if_ it follows the warrior code."

"I see," Owl mumbled. By this time, Hawk had come and sat next to his older brother, listening to the Clan conversation with interest.

Ravenstar also had to explain the warrior code, one of his easier talked about subjects. Hawk said it sounded fair, but Owl said he'd have to work at it. Ravenstar then told him all the cats were working at it, since they'd all formerly lived as rogues, loners, and kittypets.

"I want to join," Hawk stated boldly. "I want to fight for something I care about, instead of running away like we used to, my mind is made up."

"Well you're not going alone," Owl grumbled. "I'm not going to let you get killed in some battle without me there to protect you."

Ravenstar nodded, impressed with the brothers' loyalty to one another.

**XXX**

All the cats had woken up pleased to hear that the two toms were going to be joining EchoClan. Though Owl was still a bit hesitant on joining the Clan, Ravenstar knew he wouldn't leave his brothers side.

"Now," Ravenstar meowed, addressing all the cats, "It's time we've found that medicine cat."

* * *

**Finally got chapter 13 up. How do you think that Ravenstar should stumble across finding the medicine cat? Should she be a kittypet, rogue or loner? All I know is that she's going to be really smart with herbs! Hahaha, how convenient. They may not find her in the next chapter, because we've still got more kitties to gather! It'd be cool if you guys could match up which cats are which to the allegiance page. Some of them are really obvious! Haha. Thanks to all who review.**

**xRyu**


	16. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 14

Sunlight poured through the trees, announcing dawn's arrival. Ravenstar sat in the middle of the sleeping group, talking quietly with Barley.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" the black-and-white tom asked, his eyes suddenly filled with fear.

"Of course I do," Ravenstar meowed. "I _told _you, Barley, that Spottedleaf wouldn't ever leave us stranded without direction."

"Err...right," Barley mewed, looking slightly ashamed. Ravenstar flicked his friend's ear with his tail.

"Quit worrying so much, or you'll have gray fur before I can say 'mouse'."

Barley let out a _mrrow_ of laughter, and began to wake the rest of the group for the days travel. Ravenstar rested his gaze on all of the cats. _We've come this far, we can't give up now._

"Wha? Are you crazy, I am _not_ getting up this early," a cat growled. Ravenstar turned his head to see Owl fussing with Barley.

"If we're ever going to get to sun-drown-place, we need to start traveleing every morning, Owl," Barley tried to reason with the tom, but it worked to no avail. Ravenstar sighed, figuring he'd have to go talk to the grumpy brown tom.

"Oh, come on, Owl," Ravenstar looked to see Hawk padding over to his older brother. "Quit being such a grump and wake up already. I'll bet these cats get up even _earlier_ most days, so you should be thankful you've slept even this long."

Ravenstar was impressed, hearing Hawk like that to Owl. But then he shrugged, figuring these two argued more than any cats in the world. The black tom almost laughed as he watched Owl get to his paws and swing a paw threateningly at his brother.

By now, Barley had roused all the cats and they were ready for yet another days travel. Ravenstar padded over to the front of them, figured out which direction to go, and then they were off.

**XXX**

"Ravenstar, I'm hungry," a voice behind him whined. Turning around, he saw Moss looking pleadingly up at him.

"Quit acting like a kit, Moss," Aria growled, stalking over to his son. Moss looked defiantly up at his father.

"I am not acting like a kit," he stated firmly.

"Shut up, now you're acting even _more_ like a kit!" Mint chuckled from the side of the group. Ravenstar let out a _mrrow_ of laughter, and then looked at Aria. "Nah, I think it's time we stopped to hunt anyway, don't you think, Aria?"

"I guess," the white tom meowed, still glaring at Moss. The young gray and white tom gave an excited mew, and shot off towards the bushes for prey.

"Thanks to him, we'll have _no_ prey," Misty mewed, angling her ears towards where Moss had sped off to.

Rolling his eyes in amusement, Ravenstar dashed into the undergrowth, in search of prey.

The black tom stalked unseen in the long shadows, tall pine trees towering over him. Hearing the slightest scurrying sound, Ravenstar noticed a little brown body, at the foot of one of the huge trees. The mouse's scent hung in the air, making Ravenstar's mouth water.

Streaking from the undergrowth, Ravenstar dashed towards his prey. The mouse looked up, alarm flaring in its small eyes. As it tried to flee, Ravenstar quickly snapped its neck with his teeth.

Suddenly, the black tom heard a growling noise, and cat scent wreathed around him.

_Am I in another cats territory? _He wondered in alarm, sniffing around for markers. Too late, who ever was growling before was now on top of him, digging into his skin with thorn-sharp claws. Flipping around in an attempt to crush and confront his attacker, he saw a light gray tabby she-cat. The rogue cat snarled, leaping for Ravenstar again. Before she could land on the tom, Ravenstar saw another cat leap into the air, battling the gray tabby rogue down to the ground.

"Tally!" he gasped, rushing towards the two quarreling she-cats to stop the fight. Pulling Tally off the rogue cat by her scruff, he noticed she was bleeding slightly.

"Get away from here!" the rogue hissed, puffing up her fur more than necessary.

"As if," Tally scoffed. By this point, Ravenstar was wondering where the rest of his group was, and if they'd heard all the noise. Then he thought they were probably spread all around this territory, searching for prey. He shoved the thought out of his mind.

"Oh!" Tally suddenly exclaimed, backing away from the she-cat in sudden surprise.

"Tally, what's wrong?" Ravenstar meowed, looking curiously at his Clanmate. Tally seemed to shocked for words, and continued backing away, until her tail brushed some nearby brambles.

"_Smell _her, Ravenstar!" Tally gasped, her eyes flickering nervously. Sniffing in the scent of the she-cat, he noticed a milky scent. Like..._kits!_ They had been fighting a queen! Ravenstar flattened his ears in shame, walking backwards slowly to stand by Tally's side.

"Is something wrong with the way I smell?" the rogue bared her teeth in the beginnings of a snarl.

"Of course not!" Tally meowed, "I'm so sorry, if I'd have known, I wouldn't have attacked you!"

"Leave," the she-cat growled, her blue eyes flashing. Ravenstar nodded, about to slink away into the bushes, but suddenly, another cat came bounding through the brambles. Ravenstar looked at the cat; he was black-and-white with bright blue eyes, and he was holding a mouthful of prey. The black-and-white tom's eyes widened, taking in the scene in front of him. Ravenstar figured this was her mate.

"What's going on?" he asked the gray tabby rogue uncertainly.

"They were trying to steal prey, that's what!" the queen snarled, unsheathing her claws.

"Calm down," her mate meowed coolly, shuffling his prey into a neat pile.

"Don't boss me around, I'm not a kit!" the she-cat growled defensively. The black-and-white tom rolled his eyes, and then looked at Tally and Ravenstar.

"I think it's best if you two leave. She's a bit on the touchy side right now, if you couldn't tell."

Ravenstar nodded, flicked his tail to Tally, and padded away through the bushes. As he was walking, he could still hear the tom as he tried to sooth his mate with comforting words. Ravenstar then heard the black-and-white tom sigh, as if giving up the conversation.

"Come on, Lesier," was the last thing Ravenstar heard from them before he bounded away.

**XXX**

Once every cat had hunted, eaten, and rested, they started traveling again. Ravenstar and Tally had kept their mouth's shut about the incident with the rogues, and no cat knew anything about it. The two had figured it was best just to leave this territory as quickly as possible, and no cat would suspect a thing.

"What's _that_?" Nia's voice broke Ravenstar out of his thoughts, and he looked ahead to see what she was meowing about. Ravenstar saw it was a Thunderpath, and sighed. _Well,_ he thought._ I knew we'd have to cross one sometime or another._

"That's a Thunderpath," he answered gravely.

"It looks scary," Mint commented, her neck fur bristling.

"That's because it _is_ scary," Barley muttered, shouldering his way through the group to stand beside Ravenstar.

"How do you suppose we'll get this many cats to cross the Thunderpath successfully?" Barley questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"We'll have to figure out a way," Ravenstar meowed, his stomach churning. As he stared at the dark black path, he imagined one of his new Clanmates getting crushed to bits, by the heartless monsters roaring by. Shaking his head violently to clear the thought, Ravenstar looked back at his Clanmates.

"We need to figure out a strategy, everyone," he meowed once they'd gotten to the edge of the foul-smelling path. Many of the younger cats were complaining on how it stung their eyes when a monster would race past. It seemed as if the stench of the Thunderpath overpowered the young cats' fear. By now, night was falling, and the dark made this situation even gloomier.

"There are fifteen of us," Ravenstar meowed, studying the group. "We'll break up into three groups, with five cats in each. Barley and I will lead the first two groups, and Bane will lead the other."

Barley and Bane nodded, and Ravenstar noticed that _now_ the other cats were getting frightened.

Once all the cats had been split into groups, Ravenstar then explained how to cross a Thunderpath: Don't stop, no matter how scared you get. Simple as that.

Ravenstar crouched close to the edge of the Thunderpath as he got ready to lead one group across. Looking across the dark path both ways, he was relived when it looked clear.

"Now!" he yowled, racing off to the other side. Once his small part of the Clan was across the Thunderpath without trouble, he looked across to see Bane's group crossing. There was no sign of monsters right now, and Ravenstar thanked StarClan for that.

Bane's group made it safely across, and now all that was left was Barley's. A single monster raced past, buffeting each cats fur.

"Now!" Barley yowled, bounding as quickly as he could to the other side. Nia was in Barley's group, and Ravenstar gasped when she tripped, tumbling helplessly along on the Thunderpath.

"Nia!" Tally gasped, racing away from where she was keeping stride with Barley to help the small she-cat. Barley commanded the rest of the group to hurry along, and ran back to help the two she-cats. Ravenstar felt the ground rumbling beneath him, and let out a startled yowl. "Hurry up, a monster's coming!" he cried, staring helplessly as the monster climbed its way quickly towards the three cats.

Barley grabbed Nia's scruff and hauled her towards the other side, and Tally was just a few mouse-lengths behind Barley...

Ravenstar heard the loudest screech of his life as the monster's cruel black paws crushed Tally's tail.

"Tally!" Bane cried, scrabbling onto the Thunderpath after his mate. Ravenstar's mouth was open in a silent wail, while the rest of his Clanmates stared in horror. Bane grabbed Tally by her neck fur and dragged her to the rest of the cats.

"I think her tail is broken," Bane breathed, sniffing around where the monster had crushed it.

"You _think_?" Tally hissed, swatting a claw in her mates direction. Tally squeaked in pain as Bane nosed her tail gently to the side.

"Don't touch it!" Tally wailed, burying her face in her paws.

"Tally, I'm so sorry! I thought you had gotten across!" Barley meowed frantically, guilt flaming in his eyes.

"It's not your fault, Barley," Tally sighed. "It's mine. I wasn't fast enough."

"No, It's my fault!" Nia cried, racing towards Tally. "If I hadn't tripped, you'd still be okay."

"I _am_ still okay," Tally almost laughed, ignoring her pain for a moment. "If I hadn't stopped to help you, you would be as flat as a leaf. I'm lucky it was only my tail."

Ravenstar didn't know what to say. Would Tally's tail stay like that forever? He fretted.

_Unless we find a medicine cat in less than a heartbeat, her tail will be crooked forever._

"I mean, it's not like I'll never be able to move my tail again, it'll just be crooked, that's all," Tally meowed, as if reading Ravenstar's thoughts. The black tom stayed silent.

"Come on," Tally suddenly meowed after a short silence. "Lets get moving, we need some place to sleep tonight. I don't know about you guys, but I am _not_ sleeping next to this stench!"

A few of the cats laughed, but most of them were still locked in a hushed silence, most likely thinking what could've happened to _them_ on that path.

**XXX**

As Ravenstar slept, he knew he was dreaming. He knew only because Bluestar was standing right in front of him, her blue-gray tail swaying back and forth.

"Greetings, Bluestar," Ravenstar dipped his head. Bluestar did the same. Suddenly, her head raised, and she stared the black tom in the eye.

"You will meet a cat very soon," she meowed, her blue eyes flashing. "She _must _join the Clan if it is to survive."

Bluestar's voice was fading, and so was Ravenstar's vision.

His eyes shot open to the early dawn, and he shuddered. What was all that about? He wondered, sitting up straight. Bluestar had reffered to this cat as a 'she' so that meant it was obviously a she-cat.

_Does EchoClan not only rest on my shoulders, but another cats' too?_ He asked himself, looking up to the milky pink sky.

Shaking off the thought, he stepped silently through the crowd of sleeping cats, and bounded into the nearby trees to hunt.

Too intent on his prey to notice anything else, Ravenstar stalked a mouse in the undergrowth. It seemed to be looking for food itself, since it was sniffing each and every berry and seed. Not giving it a chance to detect his own scent, Ravenstar pounced, sending leaves flying everywhere.

Quickly thanking StarClan for the prey, he began to pad back to the others. Suddenly, the bushes in front of him quivered, and he crashed into a golden she-cat with black stripes.

"Oh," Ravenstar gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, am I on your territory?"

"It's alright," the she-cat replied. "My territory is open to any visitors, I'm not territorial like most cats."

"Well, thank you," Ravenstar dipped his head to the cat.

"No problem," the she-cat meowed in a friendly tone.

"By the way, I'm Ravenstar," he meowed, figuring it would be rude to barge in on some cat's territory without introducing himself.

"Hello, Ravenstar," she purred. "I'm Sible."

* * *

**Yay, Sible's back! And she's finally met Ravenstar. Is she the cat that Bluestar was mysteriously talking about? Obviously. Haha. Sorry if this chapter seemed kind of short to any of you. You see, I have to use Wordpad now that my old computer decided to croak, so I don't have word-count or spell check or any of that stuff. (You may already know this if you read the little paragraph on my profile.) So sorry if there is any typo's or other crappy mistakes in there!**

**And another: WOOHOO! Lesier is also back! (And pregnant!?) Just to let you guys know, she obviously escaped from the Twolegs (being kept as a kittypet _ugh!_) And now she's in search of Sible. Yet, they live so CLOSE! And they don't even know it. How sad. Also, poor Tally. I never meant to crush her tail! Actually, I did. It just seemed so perfect for that moment, don't you think? **

**Anyways, I wanna make a special shout-out to DarkestDelights. (My favorite authoress/person on this site!) She still believed I could write EchoClan without my beloved Microsoft Word, and guess what? I did! All thanks to her, I decided to sit down, suck it up, and use my crappy Wordpad. Yay! (Also, her stories rock my socks.) :D**

**Oh, ANOTHER thing. I need kit names for Caddie's litter. There is either going to be one or two kits. I'm not sure. I already have Precious's kittens named, so I don't need help there. It would be great if you guys would give me a description of Caddie's kits, too. Mkay, sorry for the _long _Authors note.**

Thanks to all who review! :)


	17. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Warriors_.**

* * *

Chapter 15

Sible's POV

Sible stared at the cat named Ravenstar. His name had a certain ring to it, like she'd heard it somewhere before. It was on the tip of her tongue, and she shook her head in frustration.

"Is something wrong?" Ravenstar meowed.

"No--yes, actually. I know I've heard your name from _somewhere_. Or something quite similar to your name. I just can't figure out what it is!"

"Oh," Ravenstar mewed, looking concerned. Sible sighed. _This cat must think I'm crazy._

"Well," Sible meowed. "I guess I'll see you around." With that, she bounded away from the tom and deeper into her territory. She walked to the edge of her small camp, and wondered where Electrocide was. As if answering her thoughts, the ginger tom burst out of the bushes, twitching his whiskers in greeting.

"Hey, Electrocide?" Sible padded up to him, and sat down. Electrocide set down the prey he'd caught and looked at Sible. "Hmm?"

"Did I ever tell you about that dream I had? You know, about the blue-gray she-cat?"

"I think so," the ginger tom meowed, a confused look on his face. "Why?"

"Do you remember her name?" Sible asked, a pleading look in her eyes. Electrocide stared at her.

"You mean to tell me that you forgot the cat's name?" he asked her, looking dissaproving. "The cat that you went on about for almost an entire moon. You forgot her _name_?"

Sible nodded, feeling ashamed.

"It's Bluestar," Electrocide meowed, turning away to neaten up the prey pile. Sible's ears shot up. "Bluestar!" she exclaimed, all the thoughts of the dream rushing back to her. "Bluestar, Bluestar, Bluestar!"

Ignoring Electrocide's very confused glance, she shot off into the trees where she'd last seen Ravenstar.

It didn't take long to recognize his scent lingering on some brambles. She followed it easily until she came into an even smaller clearing than her own. Of course, she knew this place because it was on her own territory, but now she didn't recognize it at all. Many, many cats were lounging in the middle of it, and they looked like they were all getting ready to go somewhere.

"Ravenstar!" Sible mewed, racing up to the tom once she'd spotted him among the large group of cats.

"Sible?" he asked, looking at the she-cat the same way he had before, concerned. _He seriously _must_ think I'm crazy now! _Sible almost laughed to herself.

"I know what you're from!" she cried. "A Clan, isn't it?" Ravenstar's eyes widened, and the rest of the cats looked shocked.

"How did you know?" he asked, taking a sudden interest in the she-cat. Sible got ready to prepare her speech when she was interrupted by a raspy meow.

"Did you know her, Precious?" an old battered looking ginger she-cat asked a younger version of herself.

"I haven't the slightest idea who she is," the cat named Precious replied. Sible shook her head in a rush. "I know because Bluestar told me. I figured it out because of the _star_ after your name. I figured you _must_ know each other! Bluestar told me once that I had a great destiny ahead of me, and that I would get my answers soon. Well, it hasn't really been soon, because it's been like four moons, but still!"

Ravenstar was silent with shock. Sible started to feel uneasy. What if the _star_ after their name had just been a coincidence, and she'd gotten it all wrong? Then she shook her head again. Bluestar had told her about the Clans, and how a great number of cats was in each. If this wasn't a Clan, then why were there so many cats in her territory?

Sible clamped her mouth shut as she waited for Ravenstar to reply. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had before, and she almost lost her balance. Realization dawned on Ravenstar's face, and he padded a bit closer to Sible.

"Bluestar came to me in a dream last night," he told her. "She told me I would meet a she-cat very soon, and if the Clan was to survive she had to join."

"Really?" Sible breathed. Then Sible watched as a black-and-white tom padded up to Ravenstar's side. "You never told me about this, but are you sure Bluestar was talking about this particular she-cat?"

"Of course she was, Barley," Ravenstar meowed. "How in the world would Sible know about Bluestar and the Clan if it _wasn't_ her?"

"Well I can't argue with that," the cat named Barley meowed, shrugging. Sible's eyes lit up. "I never thought I would actually come face to face with a Clan cat. I thought maybe it was all just a silly dream I had four moons ago." Sible then remembered her dead parents were in that dream, and the excited light in her eyes faded.

Suddenly, a familiar scent wafted around her and she watched as Electrocide emerged from the bushes. The ginger tom's eyes widened as he took in what was in front of him. Sible figured it was probably more of a shock to him, since he didn't really understand the Clans. Then again, neither did Sible.

"What's this all about?" Electrocide mewed in her ear.

"This would be a Clan," Sible purred. The ginger rogue stared at the cats, and Ravenstar padded up to speak more properly with them.

"Hello," he meowed, dipping his head. "I'm Ravenstar."

"I'm Electrocide," he mewed, looking past the black tom to stare at the other cats some more. Suddenly the old she-cat that had spoken up before snapped, "What, do we look like prey to you? Quit staring at us like that!"

Electrocide immediatley looked at Ravenstar. "Why are there so _many _of you?" he questioned. Ravenstar let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. "It's a Clan, do you not know of them?"

"Of course he knows about them," Sible meowed curtly. "He just doesn't know what to think, I guess."

"I can answer for my self," Electrocide sighed. Sible rolled her eyes and flicked his ear with her tail.

"So what now?" she asked Ravenstar. The black tom looked rather uncertain himself.

"Well..." he meowed, "Would you consider joining EchoClan? I mean, Bluestar _said _specifically that you had to join. You don't have to if you don't want to, though!" Ravenstar meowed the last part in a rush, obviously not trying to shove the decision on Sible in that sort of way. Sible laughed quietly to herself, and then she decided to play around with the idea. Although she _knew_ she was going to join.

"EchoClan, huh? Cool name," she mused, looking at the sky and trying to hide her amusement. Ravenstar just looked at her, that uncertain mask still spread across his face. Sible then looked to Electrocide. "Do you want to?" she asked her friend.

Electrocide shrugged. "I'll go where ever you go," he meowed. Sible's eyes lit up again. _He _does_ care about me!_ She internally jumped with joy.

"Hmm," Sible meowed, flickering her gaze back to Ravenstar. "I suppose we could."

Ravenstar's face shone with happiness, and he let out a purr. "Great!"

Electrocide seemed interested in the idea. Sible could tell by his facial expression. Suddenly, the black striped she-cat felt dizzy, and she wobbled on her paws. In a heartbeat, the world went blank.

**XXX**

"Wake up," a voice like wind rang in her ears. It echoed in her head until she was forced to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry for a moment, and then the world became clear. She took in her surroundings and let out a yelp. She was standing on a _cloud!_ Infact, everywhere around her was inclosed by fog, fog, and more fog.

"Dont worry, young Sible," the windy voice laughed from behind her. Whipping around, she saw the blue-gray she-cat that she had thought so much about. _Bluestar._

"B-Bluestar!" she stammered, sitting up straighter.

"Wise decision to join the Clan," Bluestar meowed, her icy blue eyes glinting in the frosty light. Sible wondered where they were.

"Not to be rude or anything," Sible mewed nervously. "But was that all you wanted to say? I wonder what the cats in the waking world are thinking right now. I bet I look _dead!_"

Bluestar let out a small laugh, but then she was completely serious. "No, Sible, that's not all I wanted to say. Remember I told you that you had a great destiny?"

Sible nodded, beginning to feel even more nervous. Without warning, her vision blurred again and she was seeing something different. It was very blurry, but she could make out certain shapes.

_There were trees whipping by, making her vision slightly blurrier. Suddenly, the trees stopped flashing past, and a small shape was huddled in front of something._ A badger?_ Sible gasped in her head, not able to speak._

_Then she saw the small huddling shape was a kit, about to be crushed by the badgers huge paws. Out of nowhere, another cat shape darted in front of the terrified kit, and it looked like the bigger cat was defending the kit. Sible wanted to screech a warning to the bigger cat, but it was too late. Its neck was crushed by the badgers huge paws._

_"No!" she heard a voice scream, though it was not her own. She saw many more cat shapes hurtling themselves at the badger, and eventually it backed off. One cat was dragging the kit away gently by the scruff, while a few of the bigger cats dragged the limp body of the dead cat in the same direction._

**XXX**

Sible gasped, her head shooting up from where she was laying. _Was that me?_ Her breath caught in her throat at the thought. Shaking her head to clear the thought, she noticed her neck was very sore.

_If it wasn't me, then why would Bluestar show me that? _Sible was almost positive that was her future. _My __**destiny**__..._ She corrected.

"You're awake," Electrocide's mew brought her out of her trance. She looked at the tom with huge, scared eyes.

"What's wrong, you look like you've just witnessed a murder!" Electrocide meowed in an amused tone.

_Actually, you're dead right about that one. _Sible thought, once again taking in her surroundings. She was back in her small clearing, with the cats of EchoClan sleeping around her. She was in her soft nest of moss, completely safe and out of harms way.

"How is that a great destiny?" She muttered to herself, too quiet for Electrocide to hear. Then he nosed her side. "What was all of that about earlier? You scared everyone's fur off with your whole blacking out thing."

"I don't know," Sible lied smoothly. "Maybe I was just really tired..."

"Maybe," Electrocide murmured, putting his head back down to sleep. Sible tried to do the same, but her mind kept getting full of visions of the badger and its huge claws. _It's probably not even you, so quit worrying! _Sible hissed to herself. Frustrated an unable to sleep, Sible stalked out of her nest and looked up at the moon.

"I don't want to die," she whimpered. Her entire body started to shake with grief, and she kept trying to tell herself that it wasn't her that was going to die. _No. _She thought firmly.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked up again at the moons bright glow.

_No._

* * *

**Ooooh, how scary. Is it Sible's destiny or not? Well, ya won't find out until the sequel! Maybe I'm too soft hearted to kill her off, maybe I'm not. I do rather love my Sible. :(**

Forgive me, _Silverdew of ThunderClan_! You have been a very loyal reviewer, and I apologize for not mentioning you in my last A/N! :)

**Not much else to put in this A/N though, except! :**

**Oh, Ryu, is that a sequel you say? Indeed! I've already got the plot to the sequel worked out, everyone. Once this story is finished, keep watch for: _EchoClan II: Stranger in the Shadows._**

**Cool name, neh? :)**

**Thanks to all who review!**


	18. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors**_**.**

Chapter 16

"Wake _up, _Sible!"

The golden tabby rolled over and pressed her paws to her ears, wishing for more sleep.

"Get up!"

Sible tried to block out the noises coming from almost every direction. She hadn't gotten to sleep at all that night, with all those thoughts of the badger swimming in her head.

"I'm not going to tell you again!"

This time, a paw was shoved into her flank with force, and she breathed out in shock. Her eyes opened and then narrowed when she saw it was Electrocide who'd prodded her so rudely.

"You mouse-brain, I just got to sleep!" she hissed, swatting a claw a few mouse-lengths from his face. He looked slightly apologetic, but simply shrugged. Sible let out a low growl and heaved herself to her paws.

"Why so early?" she grumbled, stretching each of her legs out slowly. It was Ravenstar who answered.

"The earlier we rise, the further we can travel in one day. We should be close to the mountains by now, if I paid well enough attention to Brambleclaw all those moons ago."

"Wouldn't we be able to see them, though?" Lani meowed to the black tom.

"I suppose you're right. But anyways, we must start moving again."

Sible groaned, but stood up straighter and began to pad behind Precious and Kelsha.

"Only birds get up this early," she grumbled to Electrocide. He let out an amused purr, keeping a steady pace while Sible dragged on her paws.

Suddenly, a birds' alarm call could be heard and a fat sparrow fluttered out of the trees. Every cat's fur was on end, seeing as only another animal could have caused the bird to flee.

"I smell cat scent," Barley warned, crouching low to the ground. Sible didn't know what good that would do, since they were on open ground and almost nothing could hide them.

"It's nothing to be afraid of, if there are so many of us," Ravenstar reminded his friend.

Sible twitched her ears. She didn't know cats had lived so close to her territory. Electrocide seemed to be thinking the same thing; his face held nothing but confusion.

A tawny colored shape burst out of the trees, in pursuit of the sparrow, yet the bird had already flew away out of sight. Sible noticed that the tawny shape was a ragged looking cat.

The rogue cat stopped mid-run and stared at all the cats in front of her. Letting out a startled screech, she raced back into the trees. Sible almost laughed, but flattened her ears in an effort not to.

Then the golden tabby noticed a change in Ravenstar's facial expression. Was it realization?

"Wait!" he yowled after the rogue, rushing to where she'd fled from.

"Ravenstar, what are you doing?" Barley asked in shock. "That cat was obviously afraid of us, don't frighten her even more!"

"No, you don't understand." Ravenstar meowed loudly. "Her ears! Did you see her ears? Black and white, just like that leaf!"

Sible looked at the black tom as if he had grown another head.

_Has he gone mad?_ She thought as watched as he bounded off after the rogue. Barley groaned in annoyance, and stalked after his friend. Then the black-and-white tom stopped, looking over his shoulder.

"Bane, Aria, and Sible, come with me. The rest of you stay," he mewed, turning back toward the trees. Sible sighed, padding after Barley tiredly.

They followed Ravenstar's scent until it led them to a leafy opening in the trees. It reminded Sible of her old clearing where she lived with Saphria and Lesier…

Shaking her head away from the memory, she searched for Ravenstar. She spotted him sitting with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws, and he was talking in a low voice with the rouge she-cat from earlier.

"…And I was thinking you could be that medicine cat…" Sible picked out bits and pieces of the conversation, and Ravenstar noticed them out of the corner of his eye.

"Hello, I was just talking to Rowena here," Ravenstar meowed casually, flicking his tail for the four cats to join them.

"Greetings, Rowena," Barley and the others dipped their heads. "Sorry for the scare earlier, we were just passing through."

"No, that's okay. Ravenstar has already explained to me what happened."

_How long has he even been talking with her? It can't be that long at all, and Ravenstar has already earned her trust! _Sible's ears twitched in confusion, but she spoke nothing of it.

"I don't know," Rowena turned her uncertain gaze back to Ravenstar. Sible wondered what she'd missed of the conversation.

"You will be perfectly safe with us. And well fed, too." Ravenstar replied, looking over Rowena's ragged pelt. She was a young cat, probably only three seasons, but she looked under-fed and unhealthy.

"I-I suppose, but if I don't like it…I can come home right?" she meowed quietly. Barley, Bane, Aria, and Sible all watched in complete confusion, but then Sible figured Ravenstar was asking her to join EchoClan.

"Well, we're heading over the mountains later on in our journey, so you would have to make the decision soon. I don't mean to pressure you, but you would be a great help to EchoClan," Ravenstar murmured, staring at the small cat with sympathy.

"Is she going to be a warrior?" Aria asked, speaking up for the first time.

"No, our medicine cat," Ravenstar replied, looking certain.

"_What?_" Barley meowed in shock. "_Her?_ Look at her, Ravenstar; she can't even take care of herself! What makes you think she can take care of an entire Clan?"

Rowena looked crushed by his words, and she looked at her paws. Sible immediately felt bad for the poor scrap, and wanted to bite Barley's ear off. Ravenstar let out a growl.

"Keep your muzzle shut, Barley, and think before you speak! Bluestar sent me a dream a few nights ago, and gave me a sign saying the pelt of the cat was brown, black, and white."

Barley's eyes widened and he dipped his head. "You're right, I'm sorry, Ravenstar. I had no idea what was going on."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Rowena."

"I'm sorry," Barley murmured to the she-cat, looking ashamed. Rowena didn't look up from her paws.

"I-it's alright…"

"I hope this didn't affect your decision about joining the Clan," Ravenstar meowed gently.

"No," she mewed quietly, "I will do whatever I have in my power to keep cats healthy. Yet, as your friend said, I do look rather ragged. That's only because I was never taught to hunt properly, and I've mainly been feeding off berries and scrawny mice. Please don't judge me on that quality, I beg you, because I have great knowledge of herbs."

Ravenstar nodded, and Sible watched as Barley turned his head away slightly, still looking at his paws.

"How smart are you with herbs?" Sible asked Rowena in a friendly tone.

"Well, I don't like to sound conceited…" Rowena mewed shyly, motioning towards where many leaves and berries were stacked together neatly in a corner. Sible's jaw dropped.

"You can name them all?" she breathed in admiration.

"I can."

"How do you remember which one is which?"

"My Mother and Father both taught me since I was just a kit. It just comes naturally to me now."

"That's amazing," Sible mewed, looking once again at the huge pile of supplies.

"How are we supposed to carry all this to sun-drown-place?" Ravenstar meowed, tipping his head to the side.

"We don't have to take them all, I can replant some of the berries, and the leaves will be easy to carry." Rowena answered confidently.

"I take it you're joining?" Bane meowed from the side of the group. Rowena nodded uncertainly, and began to wash at her matted fur.

"Perhaps I could teach you to hunt properly sometime," Barley ventured, trying to sound friendly.

Rowena nodded. "That would be great."

**XXX**

Sible was happy to have Rowena in the group. Once she got past her shyness, she was a bright and happy cat, and everyone seemed to get along with her. They had been traveling for less than a day, and Rowena had already grown that popular.

Sible noticed Barley and Ravenstar talking at the front of the group, and she figured they were getting along since their short quarrel. She had never seen Ravenstar so authorative before, and she was still in shock from it.

"Ravenstar!" Sible turned her head to see Nia and Mint crouching low to the ground, their eyes wide.

"What is it?" he rushed over to the frightened cats, Barley and Lani at his side.

"I saw a cat in those trees!" Nia breathed.

"No—there were_ two_ cats!" Mint meowed loudly.

"Quiet!" Aria hissed, peering into the trees. Sible wondered just how many cats were in these woods. She'd never met any others besides Electrocide and that wretched brown tom that she had battled.

The striped tabby padded a bit closer to the trees, sniffing lightly. A scent so familiar wafted into her nose, making her spring back so abruptly that she crashed into Ravenstar.

"I'm sorry!" she mewed, not looking back at the tom.

"What's wrong, Sible?" he asked quietly, still aware of the cats lurking in the trees.

Sible didn't answer, and instead, padded backward slowly. A pair of glinting blue eyes glowed from the bushes and a gray tabby shape erupted from them. Sible's breath caught in her throat. They'd been so close…all this time she'd been searching…

Sible's heart soared.

"Lesier!"

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**Sorry for the lack of updates! I've been _realllyyy_ busy with school and such.**

I'm not so sure about this chapter, I mean...I dunno, but I just couldn't get it right, no matter how many times I tried to re-write it. But I guess that happens. I'm glad Lesier is back, though! :D

(She didn't just come back for the hell of it, either, she has to do a lot with the sequel, if any of you were wondering.)

**So I used Silverdew of ThunderClan's name for the medicine cat. Rowena. I think it's a pretty name. :)**

**Just a side note: I'll probably only update on the weekends, thanks to school. If you guys want any later news for EchoClan, check my profile. I usually change the little note thingy often. (:  
****  
Thanks to all who review! **

**xRyu**


	19. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do own **_**Warriors**_**.**

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Chapter 17

**_Ravenstar's POV._**

The cat named Lesier stared past Sible and her eyes locked with Ravenstar's.

"You," she snarled, every hair on her pelt rising. Ravenstar watched as Sible staggered backwards, her eyes shocked.

"Lesier!" she whispered, trying to gain the gray tabby's attention back. The rogue stopped mid-growl and her eyes flashed to Sible.

Realization dawned on her face. "Sible?"

Ravenstar stared, dumbfounded, as the two were suddenly covering each other in welcoming licks.

"Who _is _this cat, Sible?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he looked at Electrocide for an answer, but the golden tom looked just as confused as Ravenstar felt.

After a few moments more, the black and white tom from before padded calmly out of the bushes.

"So this was the cat you were looking for all these moons?" he murmured to Lesier.

"She is!" she breathed. "Sible, oh, look how big you've gotten! But forget that, where have you _been_? I've been searching far and wide for you!"

"More like, where have _you_ been?" Sible scoffed in amusement. "_You're _the one who got captured, not me!"

"Well, that's true," the gray tabby meowed darkly.

"You have to tell me what happened. You have to tell me how you escaped…and where did that Twoleg take you?"

Ravenstar decided it was time to break in. "Okay, okay. Obviously you two know each other, but _how_?"

"She's my sister, Ravenstar!" Sible chirped excitedly. The black tom's eyes widened, but he said no more.

While Sible and Lesier were busy talking and bouncing around excitedly, the rest of the group stayed back. Except for Tally, who hesitantly padded up to Ravenstar.

"Ravenstar…isn't this the she-cat that we—"

Ravenstar cut her off. "Yes, but we mustn't bring that up now, let them talk for awhile. It seems they've missed each other greatly."

Tally nodded and walked back to where Bane was standing, and started murmuring to him.

"Hey, you smell like Sible!" Misty purred, bouncing to the front of the group, and staring up at Lesier.

"Maybe it's because I'm her sister." The gray tabby purred, and then her face became serious. "Sible…who are these cats?"

"They're cats of EchoClan, my future Clan."

"What in the world is a Clan?" Lesier questioned, glancing at the black and white tom next to her.

"A group of cats, who live bound to something called the warrior code." Sible looked back at Ravenstar, as if willing him to explain. Lesier followed her sister's gaze.

"Which brings me to this question," Lesier growled. "Why are you with _him?_"

"What's wrong with him?" Sible asked, completely confused.

"He and that cat over there—" Lesier jerked her head in Tally's direction, and the tortoiseshell looked down in shame. "—Attacked me just a few days ago. Not that I couldn't take the both of them down anyway, but I'm carrying _kits_! How do they expect a queen to battle two against one?" Lesier's growl rose into a furious yowl.

Ravenstar's Clan grew stiff, and Sible glared Tally and Ravenstar, fuming with anger.

"That's not true!" Tally hissed, her claws digging into the ground. "Sure, we quarreled, but _she_ attacked Ravenstar! It was not 'two against one' Ravenstar didn't even fight her; he dragged me off of her. I was simply protecting our future leader."

"Why didn't you tell us this, Ravenstar?" Barley looked hurt that he had kept it from him.

"It wasn't that big of a deal, Barley. We left her territory right away and continued on with our journey."

"Not that big of a deal?" Lesier screeched. "You attacked a _queen_!"

"For the last time!" Tally matched Lesier's screeching tone. "We did not _attack _you!"

Every cat grew silent, and stared at the tortoiseshell in surprise.

"You should have told us…" one cat from Ravenstar's group muttered, but the black tom didn't bother to see who said it.

"I'm so confused…why would Ravenstar want to fight you?" Sible asked quietly.

"I didn't want to fight her," he meowed, trying to keep calm. "She came out of nowhere, and Tally and I defended ourselves."

"But why—_wait_…Lesier! You're expecting kits?" Sible yowled in shock, the argument forgotten.

"Like I haven't said it about ten times," she muttered, glaring darkly at Ravenstar.

"You know, Lesier, you're going to have to forgive him sometime, I mean, it's practically my destiny to join EchoClan…"

As soon as Sible said this, she grew silent, and glanced around nervously, as if something was going to come attack her at any moment.

"Sible, what's wrong?" Lesier mewed, pressing a paw lightly into her sister's fur.

"Oh. Nothing!" The light shone in Sible's eyes again, and her uneasiness disappeared as fast as it had come.

Tally stepped forward again, this time more cautiously. "Um…Lesier, is it?" she mewed quietly. The gray tabby nodded curtly.

"I'm _really_ sorry about before, I had no idea you were carrying kits until after Ravenstar pulled me off of you…"

"As am I," Ravenstar meowed, bowing his head. "Please forgive us."

Lesier had a guarded expression, and her tail lashed once. "It'll take time."

"Time, as in…you'll join EchoClan?" Sible's hopeful expression vanished as soon as her sister answered.

"What? No! I don't even know what a Clan is, why would I ever want to join cats like _that_?"

"They're my friends," Sible mewed defensively.

"More important than your sister that's been searching for you for _moons_?"

"Oh, Lesier, don't make me choose!" Sible looked torn, and Ravenstar couldn't help but feeling sorry for her.

"It's all right, Sible, I know your sister cares about you," he meowed quietly, stepping backward.

"But what about Bluestar?" she protested.

"StarClan isn't always right."

"But still!"

"Sible, you will be a huge loss to this Clan, but you will never be as close with us as you are with your sister. I'm sure Lesier knows what is best for you."

"Oh…I'm really going to miss you guys."

"Sible..." Electrocide's mew floated up to the front of the group. "I go wherever you do, you know that."

The golden she-cat nodded, and welcomed Electrocide with her, Lesier, and the other black and white tom. Ravenstar sighed. _Another _cat was leaving, it seemed...

"We'll all miss you," Rowena spoke up, but when she was finished speaking, she looked back down at her paws. Caddie pressed against Rowena's flank comfortingly.

"Well…I guess this is goodbye then…" Sible and Electrocide reluctantly turned away from the Clan and padded closer to Lesier. The gray tabby looked satisfied with her sister's decision, and threw a triumphant look at Ravenstar.

Narrowing his eyes, Ravenstar let out an inaudible snort.

_This cat barges in and ruins absolutely everything! How is EchoClan going to survive without Sible? Bluestar practically demanded that we meet!_

He'd never let his thoughts be known, for they were too selfish and greedy. Instead he meowed a final goodbye to Sible and her two new companions, and silently led his Clan through the trees.

XXX

"Ravenstar, you said Bluestar—" Ravenstar cut Barley off before he could say any more. None of the other cats had spoken a word after they'd left Sible behind, and now they were all sleeping restlessly, tossing and turning in their nests.

_They must all be worried…_

"I know what Bluestar said," he sighed. "I just can't fight with a cat like Lesier. If Sible really was meant to be in EchoClan, then there must be a way for her to stay with us…I just don't know what."

"I wish she could have stayed, I worry for the future of this Clan without her…" Barley mewed.

"I know she's happy with her sister," Ravenstar meowed, half to himself, "but she seemed so broken when she left us. Sleep now, Barley, we have a long day tomorrow."

The black and white tom nodded, and padded to the side opposite of Ravenstar, and curled up next to Hawk, who was sleeping next to Owl.

Ravenstar smirked slightly. Owl was as grumpy as ever, but he was a good cat at heart, not to mention an excellent hunter.

His eyelids drooping, Ravenstar slipped into sleep, hoping for guidance from StarClan.

XXX

Ravenstar woke with the sounds of cats stirring around him.

"Rise and shine, Ravenstar," Lani yawned into his ear. Ravenstar sat up, disappointed. Bluestar didn't visit his dreams as often as she used to, and now, when he needed her guidance most, she didn't show.

Quickly grooming his pelt, he sorted the Clan into hunting patrols.

He had chosen to hunt with Bane and Owl, with Moss tagging along eagerly. As they padded through the trees, Moss asked question after question, and Ravenstar could tell Owl was getting annoyed. Bane tried his best to ignore it.

"Calm yourself, Owl, Moss is just a curious young tom." Bane whispered in amusement.

Owl rolled his eyes, and pricked his ears in hope of finding prey.

Ravenstar watched as Owl quietly strayed away from their patrol, his eyes fixed on a spot where the leaves were rustling slightly.

_Mouse!_ Ravenstar's mouth watered as Owl got closer to the prey, ready to pounce.

"I can catch it!" Moss' eager mew threw Owl out of concentration, and the brown tom fell clumsily on the ground. The mouse squeaked and raced out of sight.

Every cat hissed in frustration at Moss.

"I almost had that!" Owl growled furiously. Moss looked defiantly up at the tom. "I was just trying to help!"

"Well watch where you're jumping next time, you just cost this Clan a meal, you mouse-brain!"

Suddenly, a white shape burst from the trees, all its fur on end. It was Aria, followed by a confused looking Lani.

"Why are you yowling at my son?" the white tom demanded.

Ravenstar tried to step in and keep the peace, but Aria glared at him so viciously that Ravenstar backed up slightly, afraid to get on the usually friendly toms bad side.

"Well excuse me, but he just might have to go hungry tonight!" Owl hissed. Aria's eyes narrowed into slits. "You don't have the right to punish my son!"

"Well, if I can't punish your son, I'll punish you!" Before Ravenstar could stop him, Owl flung himself at Aria, and the two toms rolled across the ground in a whirling mass of fur and claws.

"Hey, get off my father!" Moss squeaked, about to jump into the dangerous battle. Bane leaped over to the little gray tom and bit into his scruff.

"Shtop thvem, Wahvenshtar!" Bane yowled through Moss' neck fur. Lani looked on, frozen with shock that two cats from the same Clan could be hurting each other to this degree.

"This is not how Clan warriors act!" Ravenstar spat, hurtling himself into the two fighting cats. When his teeth met with Aria's shoulder, he wrenched the tom away from Owl.

Spitting out the Aria's white fur, Ravenstar glared at the two bloodied toms. "We have enough problems to worry about, and yet you two want to cause more?"

"I would do anything to protect my kits," Aria growled.

"I wasn't going to attack your pitiful kit!" Owl spat, unsheathing his claws again. Lani stepped in this time.

"If either of you two fight again," she warned, with a touch of humor in her tone, "I will personally kill you."

"Not if I kill him first," Owl growled at Aria, claws still unsheathed.

"You continue to threaten me, and you'll be dead before you can say, 'mouse!'" Aria retorted, fuming.

Owl leaped for the white tom yet again, but Lani met him in mid-air, and they both toppled to the ground.

"What did I just say?" Lani screeched, completely serious now.

"Just stop!" Ravenstar yowled. Lani's eyes widened and she jumped off of Owl.

"I can't take this anymore!" Ravenstar hissed. "I didn't ask for this, infact I didn't even _want _this! I never wanted to be a leader. I never even wanted to be part of a Clan, thanks to Tiger_star_. Once I got out of ThunderClan, I never planned to have any relation with the Clans other than occasionally speaking to Firestar or Graystripe. And when I got out of ThunderClan, I never wanted to go back. I'd chosen my life as a loner, and it was peaceful… serene. That's how I liked it. Not _starving to death_ during leaf-bare, or battling at enemy Clan's borders, or going to any more gatherings, which were always awkward and tense. I can't do this, not anymore. I'm sorry, Bluestar, I'm sorry if I've failed you, but you picked the wrong cat to do this. Barley can be your leader now, for all I care. You're all just a bunch of ungrateful rogues!"

With every cat staring at him in complete and utter shock, he stormed away and didn't look back.

XXX

Ravenstar didn't plan on going back to the 'Clan', yet he hadn't even gotten out of the trees yet. He himself was shocked by his outburst, but he said what had to be said. Sure, not all of it was true, but _anything_ to get away from those StarClan forsaken cats!

In all the seasons of his life, Ravenstar had never been so angry.

"Wait!" A voice called. Ravenstar ignored it.

"Wait, Ravenstar, wait!" The voice was closer this time; still, the black tom ignored the desperate pleas.

"You can't leave!" Ravenstar recognized Lani's voice. He didn't look back.

He could feel her paws drumming on the leafy ground as she got closer and closer.

"Stop for a moment… and listen… to what I have… to say, Ravenstar." She demanded—out of breath from her run—from right behind him.

"What, Lani?" he almost growled.

"You just…can't leave…" she was still out of breath.

"And why is that, Lani?" he sighed, without turning around to face her.

"Because…because I love you."

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**GASP! What a sad-and shocking-chapter! Was what Lani said unexpected? I hope so, that was my plan from the beginning :).  
****Oh yeah, and don't kill me for Sible's sudden departure! All will be revealed in good time, my dear readers/reviewers. Oh & sorry I haven't updated in like A MONTH. I've been really busy with school :(. I know, I know, excuses, but that's all I got!**

**I've been working really hard on this chapter, and it was rather fun to write. I liked writing Ravenstar's outburst. It was just...different, with him, ya know? Cuz he's usually an: "Increase the peace!" kind of cat, but not in this chapter! Hehehe. Reviews, please? I really wanna know how I did with this chapter, kthnx. :)**

**!!! Special thanks to DarkestDelights, because if it weren't for her, I would have procrastinated even longer with updating this. So thanks, you rock! :D :D :D.**

**1,000 thanks and Ravenstar plushies go to all who review! Yay!~ So...what next, guys?**

**xRyu**


	20. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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Chapter 18

"What?" Ravenstar gasped, turning around to face Lani. Ravenstar would have never guessed that Lani would have said that. It just…wasn't _her._

"Yes, I've said it. Now you know, Ravenstar. Everything's out in the open," Lani sighed, looking at the ground. Although now would have been a good time, Ravenstar couldn't bring himself to admit his own feelings for Lani.

"Well this changes things," he meowed, surprised at how even his voice sounded. Lani then glared up at him, a hint of humor in her eyes. "If you ever tell anyone what I just said, I'll claw your muzzle off."

"Understood," he smirked.

"You know," Lani meowed, clearly trying hard to change the awkward subject, "You really hurt them back there. They're all crushed. Including me. How could you say such a thing, Ravenstar?"

Ravenstar looked down at his paws, ashamed. He should have seen it coming. All of these cats had to get used to each other in such a rushed amount of time; they were _bound_ to end up fighting sooner or later. "I know, I don't know what I'll to say to them now."

"You mean you're coming back?" Surprise sparked in Lani's voice, and her eyes lit up in delight.

"Of course I am, I just had to have a moment to myself, that's all." Ravenstar didn't add the fact that he really _didn't _have a moment to himself after he'd stormed off, since Lani came rushing after him.

Lani breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, because I thought you really meant that you weren't coming back, and that Barley could be our leader. He'd be nothing without you, Ravenstar. You're his best friend."

"I know."

Lani paused, looking uncomfortable, and stared at her paws. "What are we going to do about Sible? I know how important she was to the Clan. I could just feel it. And you two kept talking about some cat named 'Bluestar'. Was she a leader, too? Because you're _Raven_star."

"Yes, Bluestar was a leader. She was leader of the Clan I'm originally from, ThunderClan. She died protecting that Clan from a pack of dogs that raged through our territory. But I didn't live in ThunderClan during that time, though. As for Sible, I've no idea what to do yet, I'm still considering the possibilities."

Lani nodded, and then she stared at Ravenstar curiously. "Wait—you said you didn't live with ThunderClan at that time. Why? I thought all cats lived with their Clan until they died."

"That's usually the case, but mine was an exception…" Ravenstar went on telling Lani about Tigerstar and his treachery.

"He tried to kill you?" Lani gasped, staggering backward.

"To keep me quiet, but it was too late by then. Firestar—then Fireheart—had found out everything."

"That's terrible," Lani growled. "I hope he died a terrible death."

_Oh, he did, all right. _Ravenstar smirked to himself. But he would save that story for another time.

By then, the sun was falling, and the two decided it would be smart to head back before the other cats worried. As he and Lani padded through the trees, he could start to smell Owl and Aria's scent, where they'd quarreled not long ago.

"I forgot to ask," Ravenstar mewed. "How are Aria and Owl doing?"

"They're okay, no wounds other than a few scratches."

Ravenstar sighed in relief, and continued walking. The trees started thinning out and soon the two padded out of them and into the clearing, where the rest of his Clan waited. An immense wave of guilt crashed over him, and he wobbled on his paws. All of these cats depended on him to be a great leader, and lead them to the other Clans to start their new life, and he had failed them.

He dipped his head to his Clan. "I apologize to any cats that I offended earlier. I-I don't know what came over me. I'd like to blame it on all the stress, but that would just be an excuse, and there is no excuse for how I behaved earlier. Please, forgive me."

It was silent for a moment before the cats started yowling their praise, as actual Clan cats did at gatherings, and official Clan meetings. Ravenstar's heart swelled with pride in his Clan, and he felt honored to be leading them.

"Thank you," Lani murmured. Ravenstar raised his head to look at Aria and Owl. They were standing right next to each other, nothing hostile between the two. If Ravenstar hadn't been there this morning, he would have never guessed they had battled.

Both of the toms nodded to him, dismissing Ravenstar's earlier behavior.

"Well, we can't seem to travel any further tonight, but we will as soon as dawn breaks."

"What about Sible?" Mint spoke up, padding to the front of the group. Ravenstar's breath caught in his throat as he thought of what to say. "I don't know, Mint. I just don't know."

**XXX**

"Ravenstar!" A voice hissed in his ear. The voice came again, and a paw prodded him in the side.

"Stop it, Barley, I'm trying to sleep!" he growled, opening his eyes to glare at the tom. His green eyes grew to the size of moons when he realized it wasn't Barley. It was Sible.

"I've convinced Lesier to join EchoClan, Ravenstar!" Sible whispered excitedly. Ravenstar sat up slowly, aware of the sleeping cats around him. It was the middle of the night, but he didn't care.

"That's great, Sible!" he purred. "Where is she?"

Sible pointed with her tail, and Ravenstar looked to where Lesier, Electrocide, and the black and white tom stood off to the side, looking awkward.

"You'll never guess _why_ she said yes to my pleading, though. Wait 'til you hear this!" Sible was meowing as they crossed the sleeping Clan carefully and made their way to the other side.

"Lesier." Ravenstar dipped his head to the gray tabby. She copied his movement and then stared at him with a slightly regretful look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry for how I acted before," she meowed.

Ravenstar nodded and stood up straighter. "Sible tells me you've decided to join EchoClan. We'd be more than happy to have you. But if I may ask _why_ you changed your mind so quickly?"

"Because as soon as we'd left, Sible was acting so depressed, and we hadn't even been gone that long. I just can't stand to see my sister unhappy."

"And?" Sible prompted, narrowing her eyes playfully.

Lesier rolled her eyes. "That and that crazy blue-gray she-cat has been stalking me every step I take. I can't even escape her in my dreams!"

"Blue-gray she-cat?" Ravenstar echoed in shock. "You-you mean Bluestar?"

"Sible said that was her name, too." Lesier looked slightly surprised.

"Did Bluestar _say_ anything to you, Lesier?" the black tom asked curiously, wondering if his old leader had been hostile towards the gray tabby.

Lesier nodded. "She told me that Sible had a greater destiny than I could ever imagine, and part of it was joining EchoClan. Also, she said I was just getting in the way, and that if I didn't bring Sible back to EchoClan, along with the others and myself that she'd rip my fur off. I don't know why I believed her. I guess it's because Bluestar's so intimidating."

"Even _if _she's dead," Sible pointed out. Ravenstar stifled a meow of laughter. That was just like Bluestar, scaring the young cats just to get her way.

"So you're joining the Clan as well?" he asked. Lesier nodded reluctantly, but Electrocide and the other tom nodded eagerly.

"I believe we haven't been properly introduced yet," the black and white tom meowed, dipping his head. "I'm Russell."

"I'm Ravenstar," he meowed. "Though you probably already knew that. And hello again Electrocide, it's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, Ravenstar," the ginger tom meowed.

"Welcome to the Clan," Ravenstar meowed. Sible let out a mew of delight and pressed the other three cats in with the others, so they could get a goodnight's sleep.

Ravenstar looked up at the stars and meowed his thanks to not only Bluestar, but to all of StarClan. Now everything was going as planned.

He had Sible back.

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**Whoa. Sorry for the extreme lack up updates, guys. I'm getting terrible at updating, I know. :( **

**But anyways, this story is almost finished! Hurray! It'll be the first chapter-story that I've actually ever finished! Oh yeah, and sorry if this chapter is kinda short, it just didn't feel right to add anything else. I like where I left it off at. **

**And I forgot to mention... How many of you already read The Fourth Apprentice? I thought it was awesome! :D Mkay, well, that's really it. I'll try to update faster this time... this story and my new story that I posted last month "Obsessed." I find it more fun to write than this one for some reason. Anywhoo, you guys should check it out and shizz. (:**

**xRyu**


	21. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors**_**.**

Chapter 19

"There they are," Lani breathed, staring up at the huge, pointed and jagged rocks stretching sky-lengths before the large group of cats. Ravenstar couldn't look away. He hadn't expected them to be so _big. _The black tom hadn't seen anything like this in all his seasons of living.

"They're pretty dangerous, those mountains," meowed Russell as he padded up to stand next to Ravenstar. The black tom nodded. "I take it you've been there before, then?"

"Twice. I was born there, actually. When I was just a kit, my mother took me away from the mountainous area, thinking they were to dangerous for a kit. I went back there when I got older, just to look around, you know? What a mistake that was."

"Mistake?" Ravenstar questioned.

"Oh, yes." Russell then began to talk in a hushed voice that only Ravenstar could hear. "Wolves, everywhere! I even ran into a lion once, but I got away before it scented me."

"Great StarClan!" Ravenstar gasped, looking nervously at the mountains.

"I didn't mean to make you have doubts," Russell mewed apologetically. Ravenstar flicked his ears. "That's alright. No matter what, I have to get this Clan across those mountains safely and find the other Clans. That's all the matters right now."

"The Clan's seem very interesting." Russell mused quietly. Lesier's voice drifted up to the front of the group, calling for her mate.

"Later, Ravenstar," Russell meowed as he bounded towards the gray tabby. Ravenstar swallowed his fear quickly, not wanting to show his Clan that he himself was afraid. He looked back, to make sure every cat was with him, when he noticed their expressions for the first time. Lani's was one of interest, while the rest of the cats had looks of complete horror.

"You can't be serious, Ravenstar," Caddie meowed in fright, pressing Nia closer to her.

"Let go of me!" Her daughter protested, swiping her paws in all directions. Caddie whacked Nia on the forehead with her tail. "Knock it off," she scolded. Nia's ears flattened.

Sible shook away her frightened look and bounded up to Ravenstar. "When can we leave? I can't wait to get to the mountains!" Ravenstar thought that Sible had put a bit too much enthusiasm into her mew, so much so that the excitement sounded fake.

_She's scared out of her fur, she's just hiding it! _Ravenstar sighed at the thought, looking at his paws uncertainly. _Can we really do this?_

"After we hunt," Ravenstar decided, beginning to split up the group into hunting patrols. He made sure that he put Owl and Aria in a separate group, and that he put Moss with his father. He didn't want anything _else_ terrible to happen.

After Ravenstar caught a mouse, he realized how scarce prey was becoming. "It's nearly leaf-fall," he muttered to himself. No matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find anything other than the single mouse. With his tail drooping, he padded back to his Clan.

"I'm sorry," he mewed guiltily, "this is all I could find."

His green eyes scanned the small clearing, and it seemed all the cats were back by now. He had been the last to return. Not every cat had a piece of prey, and they all looked nervous.

"Will there be prey in the mountains?" Misty asked in a high pitched mew.

"We can only hope," Ravenstar answered. He flicked his tail for Lani to come share his mouse with him. There wasn't enough for each cat to have one piece of prey for themselves.

"I'm not hungry," Nia mewed, staring at the prey as if it were crow-food. "Who wants my share?"

Hawk looked up hungrily from where he was sharing a pigeon with his brother, Owl. Ravenstar watched as Caddie pressed Nia to eat, although she wasn't hungry. The golden she-cat said that not only Nia, but all of the cats needed to keep their strength up if they were going to make it across the mountains.

He bent down to take a bite of the mouse, and noticed Lani hadn't taken a bite yet. Her gaze was fixed directly on the mountains. Ravenstar then remembered when he'd first met Lani, she talked as if she'd come from the mountains herself. She had seemed to know a small bit about them, and Ravenstar wondered if she'd come from the Tribe of mountain cats that Brambleclaw had told him about.

"Lani? You need to eat." He meowed softly, stepping back from the mouse, inviting Lani to have the rest. The brown she-cat sighed and nodded, reluctantly moving her eyes to look at the prey.

As soon as every cat was finished, they continued to walk nervously toward the huge, looming mountains.

**XXX**

The cats stopped a fox length from the rising slope. It looked slippery and unwelcoming. The huge gray cloud above them, that threatened to pour rain any moment, didn't look welcoming either. In fact, that would make their walk up to the mountain top even more hazardous.

"I'm scared," Misty whimpered, pressing into Mint's side. The small blue-gray cat stared up at the mountain with wide, frightened eyes. Yet, she still seemed determined to comfort her sister. "It'll be okay."

"Are you all ready?" Ravenstar called out. He heard uneasy murmuring spread through the group, and Kelsha called out impatiently, "Yes, could we get a move on, already? I don't suppose we'll be stopping to _sleep _on this slope, will we? The sooner we start climbing the sooner we'll get to the safety at the top."

Ravenstar's heart lurched. All these cats thought that they were going to be _safe_ once they got to the top of the mountain. Only he and Russell knew the truth, and they couldn't hide that from the Clan.

"Listen, all of you," Ravenstar meowed loudly, trying to catch every cats' attention. "The top of the mountain _isn't _safe. Not at all. Sure, it'll be a bit more stable than this tall slope, but nothing is safe about the mountains. Oh, and don't attack every cat you may see on the way. There are cats that live in these mountains; they're a tribe. I'm sure they'll welcome us into their den for a few days if they know that we're a Clan."

Kelsha looked uncertain now, as if she wished she hadn't spoken out earlier. Ravenstar saw the worry in her eyes, as she stared at her own daughter, Precious, who was carrying kits.

_Am I _really _about to put all of these cats through this? When three of them are expecting kits? Great StarClan, what am I doing?_

"Lets go," Owl snapped, pushing to the front of the group and beginning to climb to the top of the mountain.

"Be careful!" Almost every cat meowed out after him, staring with big eyes.

"Owl and Kelsha are right, everyone, we need to get a move on." With that, Ravenstar dug his claws into the marshy ground and trudged upward. It was more of a slant than like a wall to climb, and Ravenstar was grateful for at least that much.

Suddenly, there was a huge crack of thunder, and rain started pouring down from the puffy gray cloud above them.

"Oh, for StarClan's sake!" Ravenstar hissed, and glared up at the sky. The cloud seemed to be moving quickly, and the black tom hoped that the rain would leave with it as it passed. His and all the other cats' pelts were soaked in moments.

Ravenstar heard Tally's horrified screech, and he whipped his head around to see her slipping on the rocks. There was no more soft grassy ground, it was all mountain rock now.

"Tally!" Bane gasped, lunging for his mate desperately.

"Don't let her fall!" Mint cried out, crouching low to the ground. Ravenstar breathed a sigh of relief as Bane sank his teeth into Tally's neck fur and hauled her up onto the nearest stable rock.

"Thanks," she panted, shaking out her wet fur, and then wincing. "Oh, this is just wonderful! I think I've wrenched a claw!"

Tally shook her paw, trying to relieve it from stinging so badly, and Ravenstar stared piteously at her. Everything bad seemed to happen to Tally. First, her tail was run over by a monster and broken beyond repair, and now this.

"It doesn't seem too serious," Bane meowed, looking over her claw intently.

"I'll be the judge of that," Rowena meowed, padding up to Tally, while trying to cling to the rocks with her claws. Rowena took a quick glance at Tally's paw, and then started to lick up the blood from it.

"Oh, Rowena, I could do that myself," Tally mewed embarrassedly. Rowena shook her head and meowed, "Nonsense. But, Bane was right, your injury isn't too serious. You'll just have to lean on him the rest of the way up the mountain."

Both cats nodded, and Tally delicately padded off the rocky ledge to lean into Bane. When Tally was ready to travel again, the cats set off.

By now, they'd been traveling up the mountain top for what seemed like moons, and the younger cats were starting to complain.

"Look, my kittens, we can see the top, now. We're nearly there, it's just a bit longer." Caddie mewed soothingly. Surprisingly, Ravenstar himself was reassured by Caddie's words. Sighing, he trudged onward, mud-streaked and soaked, up to the mountain top.

**XXX**

"We're here, finally!" Sible exclaimed, out of breath, and collapsed on the rocky ground. Lesier padded up beside her sister, panting, and lay down gratefully. Ravenstar sat down and stared up at the sky. The moon shone brightly, and the gray rain cloud was no longer in view. It had passed a while ago, leaving the cats drenched and muddy.

"Ugh! Look at my fur, it's ruined. It'll take _moons_ to clean this filth!" Precious meowed in disgust, wrinkling her nose. Kelsha rolled her eyes, "Only you, Precious, would think of something so pointless in a time like this."

Kelsha sat down and closed her eyes. Ravenstar would have thought she was sleeping if she hadn't been panting so heavily. Each and everyone of them was on the verge of falling asleep, right in that spot. If Ravenstar didn't move now, they'd all be sleeping exposed in the mountains. It was especially dangerous for the younger cats out in the open, who would attract a hungry hawk from the sky.

Reluctantly, Ravenstar stood up and stretched out his legs. "Come on, we have to find a cave or something to sleep in tonight, we can't all sleep out here and look like easy prey for an enemy."

A few of the cats shuddered at the thought, while others just stared blankly at him. Their eyes were glazing over with exhaustion.

"Can't we just go to sleep?" Nia rasped, pressing her face into her mother's fur.

"Nia, are you alright?" Caddie asked frantically, shifting her position to examine her daughter's face. "Oh, no! Rowena, I think Nia is sick!"

If Rowena had been tired, she sure didn't show it now. She bounded towards Caddie faster than Ravenstar had ever seen her run, and stopped in front of Nia to check her over.

"It's a slight cold," Rowena was murmuring to Caddie, her face becoming grim. "But it could become serious if it's not treated soon, and I have no idea where we would find herbs up here in the mountains."

"I heard from stories that there's a cat called Stoneteller that lives with the tribe in the mountains. He's their leader and medicine cat, if I remember correctly." Ravenstar thought hard, trying to remember every bit of what Brambleclaw had told him all those moons ago. "If we can find him, he'll treat Nia for sure. He couldn't be that far away. I think we're near to finding the tribe."

"But Nia needs treatment now!" Caddie cried desperately. "We can't rely on just a thought of finding a cat, we need help _now_!"

"I'll be fine, Mother, I just need rest. I feel like I could sleep for a moon," Nia meowed, though her words were slurred with exhaustion. Caddie let out a low murmur and pressed Nia closer to her fur.

"It's so cold," Caddie shivered. "Can we find the cave, now, Ravenstar?"

Ravenstar nodded and began nudging the sleepy cats. "We have to find shelter."

It didn't take long to find a long-abandoned cave further into the mountain. It was muggy and warm inside, with a few piles of moss in the corners. It smelled of stale cat scent, and Ravenstar figured these cats wouldn't be back for a while, if ever.

"The young cats and Kelsha will get the nests of moss," Rowena meowed before any cat could rush to claim one of the warm, inviting nests.

"I don't need to be treated like a kit," Kelsha protested. "I can sleep on the ground and give the nest to Tally, she needs it more than I do."

"It's just my paw," Tally meowed to Kelsha. "I'll be fine."

"You're sleeping in the nest, and that's final." Kelsha growled. Tally's eyes widened and she nodded hurriedly, rushing towards the nest on the far left. Caddie pulled a nest to the far corner of the cave and Nia settled in it.

"Why can't I be near my friends?" Nia mewed, her eyes half closed.

Caddie sighed. "Because, you can't, dear. You don't want to get them sick, too, do you?"

Nia shook her head. "I guess not."

Ravenstar padded towards the corner opposite of Nia and lay down once again. He flicked his tail, motioning for Lani to sleep nearest to him, grateful for her warm fur pressed against his.

Before he fell asleep, Ravenstar sent a silent prayer to StarClan:

_Bluestar, please make Nia well. She's a good cat. Always cheerful and bouncy, regardless of her past. If she dies, where will she go? StarClan? She doesn't believe yet. _None _of them do! Please, Bluestar, Spottedleaf, don't take Nia . . ._

_

* * *

_**Wow, I actually updated quicker this time. Guess why! It's winter break, baby! (:**

**Anyway, what did you guys think of this chapter? I was planning on having a bit more stuff happen in it, but I'm tired of having shifty chapters, so I just left it at that. The next update should be in a couple days, so don't worry about me not updating for, like, another month. **

**GASP! Will they find help in time for Nia, or is she doomed? D:**

**Thanks to all who read and review!**

**xRyu**


	22. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

Chapter 20

"Ravenstar," A voice hissed. Before his eyes could adjust fully to the dark cave, a small paw prodded his side. He let out a small hiss and then realized it was Rowena.

"Yes?" Ravenstar meowed tiredly. It seemed all the other cats had fallen asleep after the long walk up the mountain, but he just lay on the stone ground, unable to fall asleep.

"I'm going to try and find herbs for Nia. I'm afraid her breathing has become more and more shallow."

"Good idea, Rowena. I'll wake Aria and Hawk and you can travel with them." Ravenstar decided. Rowena nodded and followed Ravenstar has he woke the two toms hurriedly.

"Can't you just find another cat to go with her?" Hawk was complaining as Ravenstar shoved a paw into his side. The new leader sniffed. "A warrior would never complain about helping a medicine cat. It's an honor."

Hawk sat up, grumbling, and waited for Ravenstar to wake Aria. The white tom was a bit easier to wake than Hawk, but seemed slightly afraid of exploring the mountains with such a small patrol. Ravenstar tilted his head to the side. "Perhaps I should send one more cat with you."

Hawk shook his head. "No, no. We'll be fine, Ravenstar."

The black tom studied Hawk's eager look and finally nodded. "Alright, be careful. And don't stray too far away from the cave!"

Ravenstar watched as the three cats left the cave and walked out onto the cold, wet mountains. A shudder passed through him. _What if they don't come back? _The black tom mentally kicked himself. He couldn't think like that. Trying to push the dark thought out of his mind, Ravenstar settled down where he was and closed his eyes.

XXX

Rowena's high pitched cry pierced the night air. Ravenstar's eyes shot open, all feelings of exhaustion gone. A few of the cats in the cave pricked their ears nervously, asking what was wrong. Ravenstar prodded Russell awake, and the two cats bolted out of the cave.

"Where did you hear Rowena call from?" Russell panted, his eyes darting from side to side uneasily. Ravenstar opened his jaws to taste the air, and the patrol's scent was to the left.

"They're that way!" He hissed, pointing with his tail and racing towards the patrol. The three cats' scents were as strong as ever, and they all came into view as Ravenstar rounded a huge boulder. The scene in front of him shocked him.

"…W-what?" Russell meowed from behind him. Ravenstar blinked. Rowena lay sprawled out on the ground with a small golden she-cat jumping all over her in an excited manner. Aria and Hawk sat to the side, _mrrows_ of laughter sliding from their jaws. The foreign golden she-cat noticed Ravenstar and Russell, and leaped off of a ruffled looking Rowena.

"Hello!" she purred excitedly. "I'm Pixie!"

"Um, hello…" Ravenstar meowed uncertainly. The small cat certainly didn't _look _like a threat. After all, she couldn't be more than an apprentice.

"I've never seen any of you before, that's why I got so excited," Pixie was meowing, going up to each cat and giving them a big sniff. "You all smell like mud and water."

"That's because we were traveling," Aria meowed, staring down at the strange little she-cat. Interest sparked in her frosty silver eyes, but it vanished in an instant. One moment, she was bouncing around and chattering her head off, and the next, she was crouched on the ground in terror.

"What's wrong—" Pixie cut Ravenstar off with a hiss and pointed her tail to where a huge animal was prowling around nearby.

"Wolf!" Russell hissed quietly, his eyes now matching Pixie's. "Everyone, get down!"

"Should we leave?" Hawk questioned, his voice no more than a whisper. Pixie shook her head. "No, don't move a muscle. It'll hear you. But this is only a young wolf. If we stay quiet long enough it should leave."

The six cats had crouched there for what seemed like moons, every hair on end and quivering. Shouldn't the wolf have scented them by now? Ravenstar was sure it's huge nose was far more powerful at scenting things than his own.

Suddenly, the wolves' sharp-eyed gaze snapped to where the cats were hiding. It lunged, but missed them entirely. Every single one of them was too petrified to move even a mouse-length. Ravenstar's heart lurched, and his breath came in sharply. The cats heard a squeaking sound. It was the sound of something dying. Ravenstar tasted the air, and scented rabbit! That's what the wolf was after, not them. The others seemed to realize this, and they crept along the boulder they were hiding behind very slowly.

The wolf didn't seem to scent them, and it trotted away happily with its tail in the air, carrying the rabbit.

"Great StarClan!" Ravenstar exclaimed, breathing a huge sigh of relief. Pixie stared after the wolf with horrified eyes. "That's not possible! It would have scented us!"

"Well it didn't, so let us be thankful for that." Russell meowed, his voice small. Rowena crouched beside Pixie, her fur still standing on end.

"Rowena, calm down, it didn't scent us. We're fine." Hawk mewed reassuringly. The medicine cat glared at him. "But it could have! You have _no idea_ how close it came to us! A miracle happened just then for it not to scent us!"

_A miracle_? Ravenstar pondered the thought, and looked at the dark sky. A single star glowed brighter than the rest. Ravenstar smirked. _Is that you, Bluestar?_

Ravenstar then looked back at Rowena. "Did you find any herbs?" The medicine cat shook her head. "I didn't have time to, seeing as this little one just came running at me from out of nowhere! Almost worse than that wolf, I swear."

Pixie looked guiltily at her paws, and then perked back up. "Did you say herbs, Kittycat?" she asked, looking from Rowena to Ravenstar.

"Yes, do you know of any? And my name is Ravenstar, nice to meet you."

"Okay, Kittystar, nice to meet you too! I know where we can find herbs, my friend Jack takes me sometimes," Pixie chirped in her high pitched mew. Ravenstar rolled his eyes. _Kittystar?_ But that didn't matter right now, if Pixie knew where to find herbs.

"Where is your friend… Jack at?" Rowena meowed, her voice sparking interest. Pixie looked around briefly, and shot off in the direction opposite where the wolf had been. "Come on, I'll take you to him!"

"If she doesn't stay quiet, she'll get us all killed!" Aria hissed angrily, glaring after the tiny she-cat.

"Ravenstar," Hawk sounded worried. "Should we trust her enough to follow her? I mean, it was her fault the stupid wolf came in the first place."

"If it's our only chance of finding herbs for Nia then we have to take it. Hurry, all of you, before she runs off without us!"

**XXX**

Ravenstar's group followed Pixie through the mountains, and shortly after, they arrived at a thorny looking bush. Rowena looked worried. "We're not going through _that, _are we?"

"Oh, come on. You can't be scared of a _thorn bush_ can you?" Pixie let out a quiet laugh. Then she clawed at the bush and pushed it to the side to reveal a small hole in the ground.

"We're going through here. This is where I live." The group of cats followed uneasily into the tight space, and eventually it opened up into an underground cave. There was a small slit in the roof of it that allowed moonlight to enter.

"Pixie?" a tom's voice meowed out. "I smell others with you." From behind a big rock, a jet-black tom with long fur emerged. He had glinting green eyes that matched Ravenstar's own.

"I don't recognize your scent," the black tom meowed, shockingly calm. Ravenstar would have expected a huge tom like this to be hostile towards strangers, but this cat wasn't. Perhaps it was because Pixie had brought them there.

"Hi, Jack!" she chirped, bouncing over to the tom. He ignored her and continued staring at Ravenstar's group. "These are my new friends."

Hawk let out a laugh, and Aria shoved the brown tom over. "Quiet!"

"Who are you?" Jack meowed curiously, letting his slightly bristled fur relax.

Ravenstar stepped forward. "I am Ravenstar, and this is Rowena, Aria, Hawk, and Russell. It's good to meet you. Pixie met us out there in the mountain, and mentioned you knew where to find herbs."

"Jack is my name." The black tom meowed. "Herbs, eh? You sure you're not here to assassinate me or something?"

"What? No!" Rowena gasped, sounding horrified. Hawk let out another small laugh, Aria glared at the young brown tom threateningly, and he shut up.

"Why would we want to kill you?" Ravenstar meowed in shock. Jack just shook his head. "Never mind, no need to talk about that. Why do you need herbs?"

"Well, it's a long story, really," Ravenstar mewed, sounding a bit defensive.

Jack looked amused. "I have all night."

Ravenstar narrowed his eyes. "Fine then. Instead of just my small patrol, we come in a large group of cats, which the rest are staying in an abandoned cave right now. There is a sick kit there, and she doesn't have very long. If you're willing to help, I would be in your debt."

"Why are you here in such a large group?" Jack tilted his head, looking curious.

"We're passing through the mountains," Ravenstar almost growled.

"The mountains are a dangerous place," Jack meowed.

"We are aware, which is why we're trying to get out of here as quick as possible."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Very well. Not far from here is a large waterfall, and behind it is a cave. There lives a tribe of cats called the Tribe of Rushing Water. What you say sounds like you're talking about a Clan. The tribe is very welcoming of the Clans. Perhaps you know of the other ones that have passed through there. Do you know of Feathertail?"

Ravenstar gagged in shock. "W-what?!" he spluttered. Every cat stared curiously at him. "Feathertail! Of course I know her—well, _knew_ her, she died saving that tribe from the lion, right? Brambleclaw told me of that."

"You also know of Brambleclaw?" Jack sounded shocked now. "I suppose I _must_ trust you all now. But why are you traveling now? The other Clans traveled long ago. I was just a kit when they were traveling through the first time."

"This is amazing," Ravenstar breathed, looking back at his confused group of cats. He turned his gaze back to Jack. "Do you think you could take us to the tribe?"

"I suppose I could fit it into my busy schedule. Eat, sleep, hunt, eat, sleep, hunt… Yes, there's room in there somewhere for a visit to the tribe."

"Yay!" Pixie cried. "This means I get to see all of my friends. I bet they're cave guards or prey hunters by now, it's been so long!"

"Pixie, it's been two moons." Jack said flatly. "That's not that long."

"Two moons is _forever_ in my eyes!" Pixie mewed stubbornly. "When can we leave?"

"Well, you _did _interrupt my sleep…" the black tom began, but stopped himself. "But, that doesn't matter right now, if a cat is sick. I suppose we should leave immediately."

"Thank you!" Ravenstar and Rowena mewed at the same time. Jack nodded, and led the way outside of his cave.

XXX

"I can't wait to meet the tribe!" Lani whispered in Ravenstar's ear. He and his group had gone back to the abandoned cave to tell the others where they were leaving, and now they had brought Nia, Caddie, and Lani with them. Russell and Hawk had stayed back with the rest of the Clan and Aria and Rowena had stayed with Ravenstar.

"We're nearly there," Jack meowed, keeping his gazed fixed in front of him. As the group padded up a small slope, a large waterfall came into view.

"I had no idea it would be so close," Ravenstar meowed in amazement. The rest of his group echoed him.

When they made their way to the huge waterfall, his group pressed around him nervously. Jack looked back at them. "Watch your step."

"I'm scared," Nia whispered, pressing closer to her mother. Caddie looked down at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, my kitten. We have to do this, though. You want to get better, don't you?"

Nia just nodded, and continued walking towards the slippery stones. Caddie grabbed Nia by the scruff so she wouldn't fall off the steep ledge. Ravenstar stepped carefully along the stones, and he was now behind the massive waterfall. Lani walked behind him, her eyes huge with wonder. Jack was already inside the cave, and Ravenstar could hear cats' voices coming from the inside.

He stepped nervously around the entrance and walked inside. The others followed closely behind.

"Greetings!" A toms' voice called out to Ravenstar and his group. The black tom watched as an old gray tabby tom stepped out from a cluster of cats in the center of the cave. Ravenstar dipped his head.

"My name is Teller of the Pointed Stones, but you may call me Stoneteller. I'm the healer of this tribe—The Tribe of Rushing Water. I understand that your group of travelling cats has run into some trouble, yes?"

Ravenstar's eyes widened. Just how much had Jack told this cat in just a few moments? He shook off his curiosity as best as he could. "Greetings, Stoneteller. My name is Ravenstar. These are a few members of my Clan: Aria, Lani, Nia, Caddie, and Rowena. Yes, we are in quite a bit of trouble, actually. You see, this young apprentice, Nia, is sick and we've no idea where to find any herbs. We ran into Jack and Pixie and they told us you may be able to help."

Ravenstar noticed that Stoneteller's eyes brightened when he'd heard Ravenstar say "Clan".

"I see," Stoneteller mewed, a faraway look in his eyes. "You are from a Clan? How can that be? The other Clans passed through here a very long time ago—"

Before Stoneteller could finish, a cat yowled Ravenstar's name. Except this cat had said 'Ravenpaw.' …How was that possible?

Out of the crowd of cats in the center of the cave, came a large gray tom with amber eyes. "Stormfur!" Ravenstar cried. Why was he here, and not in RiverClan? "You live here now?"

The gray tom nodded, and touched his nose to Ravenstar's. Stoneteller seemed surprised. "You know this cat, Stormfur?"

"Of course I do. He's a very close friend of Firestar, and of my father. Why are you here, Ravenpaw?"

"It's Raven_star _now." The black tom corrected. Stormfur stepped back. "Y-you're a leader?"

Ravenstar nodded. "It's a long story. I'll tell you about it some other time. Right now, our main priority is Nia, and getting her well."

Stormfur just nodded, and looked back at Stoneteller. "You'll help them, right?"

Stoneteller narrowed his eyes at Stormfur, as if trying to scold him for being so blunt about the question, but it didn't seem to do any good. At last, the old tom sighed. "Of course we would be happy to help any Clan, as they have helped us greatly in the past."

"Thank you so much!" Caddie cried, and then looking embarrassed for speaking out so carelessly. Stoneteller's gaze warmed. "There is no need for thanks. We will forever be in debt to the Clans."

Before any cat could say anymore, another gray tom came padding out of the center of the cave, and walked directly over to Lani.

"What is your name?" he demanded. Lani puffed up her fur. "Why do you need to know?" she almost growled. The gray tom sniffed at Lani and his eyes widened.

"Stoneteller!" he yowled. "It's her! It's really her!"

Lani looked confused, but slowly realization and shock dawned on her face. The gray tom still hadn't calmed down. "It _is _you. Isn't it, Wolf that Howls at Moon?"

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I know I said I'd update quick last time, but I've had a lot of stuff going on these past few months. It's really hard to sit down and write for a long period of time. So that's why this chapter may seem really rushed, because I wanted to post it already. I'm sick of trying to edit it to get it perfect, because I don't have that kind of time. So sorry, guys. D:**

**Well, what did you all think about this chapter? I'm not all that sure I like it. Although I _do _like Jack and Pixie. A lot. :)**

**Thanks to all who read & review! :D**


	23. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Warriors._**

**I am _so _sorry for the obnoxiously long wait, everyone! I guess I just sort of lost interest in this story. Until I bought Fading Echoes. I just got it in the mail yesterday, and I'm halfway finished with it. (Kinda late buying it, since it came out in, like, March...) I guess that got me back into Warriors. **

**Enjoy! (:**

* * *

Chapter 21

"W-what are you talking about?" Lani mewed nervously, stepping backward. The gray tom that had confronted her didn't back down. Lani looked highly uncomfortable, and pressed herself against the cave wall to get away from the curious gray cat.

"You don't remember?" The strange cat looked dissappointed, and his tail drooped. An old brown she-cat padded up to him and meowed, "How can you expect her to remember, Gray? She's been gone a long time."

Lani puffed up her fur and unsheathed her claws. "What are you crazy cats talking about? Quit acting like you know me!"

Ravenstar stepped forward, confused but calm. "What exactly are you talking about?"

It was Stoneteller who answered. "They are saying that the cat you call _Lani_ is really a member of the Tribe."

The cats of EchoClan gasped, as did the members of the Tribe, some not fully comprehending what this meant. "What! How?" Lani spluttered frantically, her claws digging into the ground. The brown tabby she-cat from before answered. "Your mother was named Feather, correct?"

Lani nodded, staring at the old cat with narrowed eyes. The she-cat stared back calmly, but excitement shone in her eyes. "Her full name was Feather that Floats Above. She took you away from the tribe many moons ago, because she thought it was too dangerous. I am Feather's sister. I am called Flight of Startled Heron."

Ravenstar gaped, unable to speak. Lani moved away from the wall, baring her unnaturally long teeth. "How do you know I'm this Wolf that Howls at Moon cat, huh? You've got to be mistaken." Although Lani's words were strong, her eyes glittered with uncertainty. Flight stared back at Lani, and pointedly wrapped her tail around her paws. All cats were silent as Lani continued to glare at Flight. Ravenstar noticed a small black she-cat with her neck fur standing on end, as if she were about to go defend her friend. A tom next to her flicked his tail, and the black cat straightened up, forcing her fur to lie flat. The members of the Tribe clearly wanted to see how Lani would react.

Lani let out a low growl, and Flight bubbled with laughter. "You always were an aggressive kit! You all but scared your brother out of the nursery. Your father would be proud." Ravenstar watched as the Tribe cats bowed their heads. Had the father died? He wondered, watching the cats curiously.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, you crazy old she-cat, and I don't know how you know my mother's name. But my name is Lani, and I've lived in a small section of the forest for my entire life. After my mother died" -Flight winced- "I stayed in that forest, because she told me I had a great destiny ahead of me; that I would meet great cats one day, and to trust them. I've already found those cats, and now I am part of a Clan. I don't need lies fed to me that I'm part of this Tribe."

"But you _are_ part of it, and you must believe it!" The gray tom from before blurted out. He seemed genuinley hurt by Lani's words.

"That is for her to decide. Don't pressure her more, Gray, she'll trust us eventually." Flight dipped her head to Lani and crawled into a small opening that appeared to be a den. Gray hovered around Lani for a few moments, and then padded, tail drooping, to another den.

Lani rolled her eyes, but Ravenstar could tell she was extremely suspicious about these cats. "Now that that's over, can we please get back to Nia?" she meowed in a nervous voice. Nia had stayed quiet during the whole discussion, and was leaning heavily against her mother. Her eyes were slightly glazed and her breath was coming in shallow gasps. She let out a pitiful cough and sighed. "I-I'm okay, honest," she whispered, closing her eyes. Rowena hovered over the two nervously, not knowing what to do in this strange environment.

"No, no! Keep your eyes open, Nia!" Caddie cried, licking her kit frantically. Stoneteller jumped off of the rock he was standing on and pelted towards a den near the entrance to the cave. "Night, get a nest for the sick kit!" He called before disappearing into the den. The black she-cat that had looked ready to attack before showed no signs of aggression now as she hurriedly dragged a nest out of a nearby den and built feathers and moss into it. A few young cats, including Pixie, crowded around Night, bringing her soft things for the nest.

"Bring the sick kit here," Night said quietly, gesturing towards the nest. Caddie dipped her head and practically dragged Nia over to them. Ravenstar could only watch as Nia's weak body slumped into the soft nest, her eyes closing slowly. The new leader felt his own eyes closing. He was unable to fight off the sudden exhaustion and everything went black.

**XXX**

Sible woke from another nightmare. She had always told herself that only kits were afraid of bad dreams, but that wasn't true. It was the same nightmare over and over. Always about the badger...

"Are you all right?" Electrocide's mew was quiet, and he narrowed his eyes as sunlight poured through the cave. Sible just stared at him, not responding. Electrocide licked the top of her head. "Was it another bad dream?"

The striped, golden she-cat simply nodded and plopped back onto the ground. She noticed Ravenstar hadn't returned with Nia and the others yet. Worried, she stood back up and padded to the entrance to the cave. Electrocide stayed where he was, but stared after her with an expression that matched Sible's own. She saw Barley sitting on a boulder outside of the cave, and walked up to him.

"Ravenstar hasn't returned," the black and white tom meowed quietly, not turning to face her.

Sible sighed. "Do you suppose they're hurt?"

"Bluestar wouldn't let that happen."

Anger flashed through Sible. The last time she'd spoken to Bluestar, the blue-gray she-cat had shown her a vision of what was most likely her future... or destiny, rather. Sible found herself furious with the dead she-cat. "Bluestar is dead. So is the rest of StarClan, or whatever it's called. They have no physical influence in the living world, and they can't protect anyone!" Sible felt Barley's sorrowful gaze prickle her pelt as she stomped away.

_He just thinks I don't understand! But I understand as well as any of the Clan cats what StarClan is! _The golden she-cat growled to herself as she stalked to the other side of the cave to be alone. _They're just a bunch of dead cats who like to stalk the living. That's all they'll ever be._

A sweet scent surrounded Sible then. It was so sweet, she had to wrinkle her nose to avoid the smell. Mist swirled around the space next to her, and a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat appeared. Sible jumped back a few mouse-lengths and gaped at the starry she-cat.

"Greetings, Sible." The mysterious cat dipped her head. Sible just stared, her mouth hanging open. "My name is Spottedleaf."

"H-hello."

"As you can see," Spottedleaf mewed, a hint of humor in her voice, "We _do_ have a physical influence on the living, if we choose. Go ahead, flick me with your tail. You'll hit a solid figure."

Following Spottedleaf's instruction, Sible flicked her with her tail, and, as the she-cat had said, she hit a solid figure. "That's impossible!" Sible blurted out. "Y-you're dead!"

"That I may be, but StarClan has powers you could not imagine. Now I may not be able to stay in this shape for much longer, I can walk in your dreams, show you visions, and much more."

Sible automatically felt guilty about all of the things she had thought about StarClan. "I'm so sorry, I was just worried, is all! I was wrong-"

"Every cat doubts StarClan at some point in time, but they always come through. There is no need for apologies, because we were not angry with you, young Sible. You have your reasons to be angry with us, however..."

Spottedleaf's voice was fading away, as was her entire figure. Sible watched as the beautiful tortoiseshell vanished, leaving only mist where she once stood.

**XXX**

"Is he awake yet?" An anxious voice mewed.

"Give him time, he was exhausted." Meowed another.

"Any moment now," said a less familiar voice. "Can you not see his eyelids fluttering?"

Ravenstar opened his big, green eyes to see Lani's anxious face very close to his. "Oh thank the stars you're alright!" She yowled, licking his head. Embarassed, Ravenstar pulled away from her and saw Stoneteller and Rowena in the room.

"Sorry, I hadn't slept all last night and barely the night before. All of that sleep was bound to catch up sometime," Ravenstar meowed casually, and then remembered the previous night. "Where's Nia? Is she all right?"

Stoneteller nodded. "She will recover, but it will be a few days before she can travel again. Her mother is with her."

"Thank StarClan," Ravenstar whispered. He looked back at Stoneteller. "Where is Aria?"

It was Rowena who answered. "We sent him back to the cave where the rest of the Clan is waiting. Stoneteller said we are _all _welcome here, so Aria is leading everyone back here."

Ravenstar blinked in shock. "That's wonderful, but will the entire Clan fit in this cave?"

Laughter rumbled in Stoneteller's chest. "Yes, of course. The dens are much bigger than they seem from the entrance of the cave. You're in the elders' den at the moment, and the elders are in the nursery. I didn't want you in my den with Nia, because you might catch what she has. Caddie, however, refuses to leave Nia's side."

Ravenstar took in his surroundings. He was in a tiny hole in the ground, just big enough to fit a cat. There were a few more holes like this, and they appeared to be what the Tribe cats slept in. He dipped his head. "Thank you for all that you have done."

"As I've said before, the Tribe of Rushing Water will always be in debt to the Clans."

Ravenstar got out of the nest and stretched. With Lani at his side, he padded into Stoneteller's den to check on Nia. The golden she-cat was curled in the same nest, sleeping softly. The herbs had seemed to work well, to Ravenstar's delight. He saw in Stoneteller's den a pool of water with pointed stones sticking out of it. There were also pointy rocks hanging from the ceiling. Is this why Stoneteller had introduced himself as Teller of the Pointed Stones? Ravenstar pondered the thought as he walked over to Caddie and Nia. Lani sat down next to the tiny golden she-cat and Caddie looked up as the new leader walked over to her. She looked exhausted, but there was hope sparkling in her eyes.

"I think I'm starting to believe in those dead cats you're always talking about, Ravenstar. Tell me more about them."

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**It took me forever to get back into the habit of writing to finish this chapter. It only took a few hours though. Also, I had to use WordPad to write this chapter, so I apologize if there are any typos. Not much happened in this chapter other than Nia getting a bit better, and the fact that the rogues/loners have the ability to believe in StarClan. Woohoo!**

**So anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter, as it took me 8 months to get it published. Sorry again for the long wait. I wonder if I still have any readers... I hope so, because you guys are great. :D**

**Next chapter will be out soon, since I got a new laptop for my birthday and can write whenever I want now! **

**Thanks to all who read/review!**


	24. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors.**_

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Chapter 22

Ravenstar had finished telling Caddie and Nia about his warrior ancestors right before the rest of EchoClan walked slowly into the Tribe's cave.

"Welcome!" Ravenstar could hear Stoneteller's voice boom from inside the healer's den.

"I'd better go see if everyone is okay," Ravenstar murmured before padding out into the large part of the cave.

The EchoClan cats huddled into each other, as if they were too nervous to move. Bane's teeth were slightly bared and Tally unsheathed her claws, staring around in wonder. Kelsha seemed to have noticed Bane's defensive position, and whacked him on the head with her tail. "Calm down, fur ball. These cat's are trying to help us. Didn't you hear Aria, or are you _deaf_?"

The gray tom stared at Kelsha, shocked. His expression quickly turned into one of annoyance, and he flicked his tail irritably.

Ravenstar rolled his eyes. "Quit being ridiculous, all of you. Look at you, huddling together like a cluster of frightened rabbits!"

Owl's eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at his leader. "Perhaps it's easy for you to trust every cat you meet, Ravenstar, but that is not the case for all cats."

Ravenstar flicked his tail in annoyance when he saw that Owl's claws were unsheathed. "When no other cat is showing hostility, it's a sign that you can trust them. These Tribe cats are ones who can be trusted greatly." The black tom dipped his head to Stoneteller.

The leader of the Tribe nodded to Ravenstar, and then he looked at Owl. "There is no need to be frightened, though I understand why you would be. The Tribe of Rushing Water has no intention of harming any of you, as we are friendly toward all Clans. The Clans have helped us greatly in the past, and it would be unreasonable not to help them in their time of need."

Owl snorted and looked away, but he sheathed his claws. Hawk stared at his brother with an unreadable expression. "Owl, you're so stupid."

Ravenstar let out a _mrrow_ of laughter, and was happy when his Clan began to walk around the crowded cave, some making conversation with the Tribe members. He watched as Mint padded up to Stormfur and asked his name.

"My name is Stormfur, little one. What's your name?"

"Stormfur... that sounds like one of the Clan names that Ravenstar told me about!"

"That's because I was born a RiverClan cat, but I am a Tribe cat at heart." Stormfur answered her honestly, his gaze following a slender brown tabby as she padded into what appeared to be the nursery.

_Does Stormfur have kits now? _Ravenstar wondered. He remembered when Stormfur was just born. Though hadn't seen him when he was a kit, Graystripe couldn't stop bragging about how wonderful his kits were. He also remembered when Firestar and Graystripe, then Firepaw and Graypaw had helped him escape Tigerstar. The three had been through so much together, and he was proud to call them his bestfriends. He suddenly couldn't wait to see them.

Shaking away the feeling of nostalgia, he padded up to Stormfur and Mint. The former RiverClan warrior was telling her more about Clan life, and what it's like to be an apprentice.

Mint looked over at Ravenstar as he sat next to the two. "When can I be an apprentice, Ravenstar? When will we all get our Clan names?" The small blue-gray she-cat asked eagerly.

"When we're sure that we've got all of our Clanmates with us," he promised her. To tell the truth, Ravenstar himself did not know the answer to that. He wasn't even sure he remembered the correct words for the ceremony to name a warrior, since he'd only seen Mousefur, Runningwind, and Longtail named warriors when he was still Raven_kit. _If he found Firestar, he could ask him, knowing that the flame colored tom wouldn't judge him for forgetting.

Suddenly, Ravenstar's eyes widened in understanding. "Stoneteller!" The black tom rushed over to the old healer, hardly able to keep his fur on.

"Yes, Ravenstar?"

"You said that The Tribe of Rushing Water had helped the Clans in the past. How did you help them exactly? Did you help them find their new homes?"

Stoneteller shook his head. "We did not help them find their homes, but we are sure that they have found them. A few moons ago, Stormfur and Brook went to go live with them due to a... _disagreement_ that they had had with the Tribe, but they returned, along with some of the Clan cats. They helped us confront some rogues that had been disturbing us, and helped Stormfur and Brook return safely back with the Tribe. Then they went back to the lake."

Ravenstar listened carefully to what Stoneteller was telling him, and an idea sparked in his mind. "Do you think that Stormfur and _Brook_, is that her name? Do you think that they could help us finish our long journey and lead us to this lake? If not, I completely understand."

"Well, that would be up to them, but I doubt Brook would want to leave her home at the moment, since she is taking care of hers and Stormfur's two kits," Stoneteller meowed, his eyes flickering toward what Ravenstar thought was the nursery. _Of course! _Ravenstar had completely forgotten his thoughts about Stormfur having kits. He automatically felt guilty, not wanting to ask Stormfur to leave his family. He didn't have time to tell Stoneteller this, since the old tom was calling Stormfur over to them.

"Stormfur," Stoneteller meowed. "Ravenstar has something he wants to ask of you."

Stormfur looked at Ravenstar, his expression one of understanding. "Did you want me to help you find the other Clans?"

_Is it really that obvious? _The new leader's ears felt hot with embarassment. "Well, Stoneteller has just told me about your kits, and I wouldn't want you to be separated from them."

"It's fine, Ravenstar," Stormfur purred. "My kits are almost six moons old. They're old enough to the point where I'm not as worrisome as I used to be about their safety. Besides, they have Brook to look after them while I'm gone. I'd be more than happy to lead EchoClan to the lake. Though, I'm not sure where you all would find your territory. Perhaps behind ShadowClan and ThunderClan territory, there's a bit more forest back there that I'm not sure ShadowClan has explored yet."

Ravenstar let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Territory was one of the main worries he had about finding the Clans. _What if there's no room for a fifth Clan? _He had wondered a few nights ago. _What if they simply don't want us?_

"Thank you, Stormfur," Ravenstar dipped his head.

**XXX**

Ravenstar and his Clan had stayed the night in the cave with the Tribe. They had shared prey with the odd cats, and learned that apprentices were called to-be's, and there were no warriors. They were prey-hunters and cave guards. Ravenstar had met Brook-who's full name was Brook where Small Fish Swim- and her kits, named Petal of Gentle Flower, and Breeze that Blows through Meadow. According to Stoneteller, both of those kits were going to be prey-hunters, because of their small, slender bodies. Stormfur couldn't be more proud, Ravenstar had thought.

As soon as the sun began to rise, so did the Clan. They were all excited to finally have this long journey come to an end and find their new home. Ravenstar stretched and padded toward the entrance of the cave. Stoneteller followed him. "Send my regards, Ravenstar. You are a brave cat to attempt the Great Journey with just one group of cats."

The black tom dipped his head. The Tribe cats had told him how difficult the Great Journey was for the four original Clans. The Tribe had found them starving and huddled out in the snow, they had said. Ravenstar shuddered, grateful that it was now just turning Leaf-bare, and they wouldn't see snow for another quarter moon.

Just as the cats had said their goodbyes, Gray jumped out in front of the Clan, blocking their entrance to the cave.

"Wolf," he meowed quietly. "I've waited so long for you to return, and now you're going to leave again."

Lani sighed. "My name is not Wolf anymore, and you may be my brother, but this is not my home. I belong with EchoClan."

Flight and Gray had managed to convince Lani the night before that she was, infact, a member of the tribe. They had known so much about her mother, so Lani, defeated, admitted it must be true. Ravenstar was glad that Lani was staying with him and the Clan, because if she left, he would truly miss her. The two had become close on their journey, and she was the first cat that had agreed to join EchoClan.

Gray bowed his head and padded slowly over to Flight. The old brown she-cat didn't seem as disappointed as her nephew. "Go foward, dearest Wol- _Lani. _We have done all we can do, but you will not stay here with your family. I am glad that you at least know and believe the truth. You will be missed."

Lani nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable. Ravenstar stifled a _mrrow _of laughter as he looked at her bewildered expression.

Stormfur padded out to the front of the large group to stand next to Ravenstar. "Are you ready?" He meowed, gesturing with his tail toward the entrance to the cave. Ravenstar nodded, but was interrupted with a wail.

"Wait!" Pixie popped out to the front of the group. "Me and Jack want to join your Clan, Ravenstar! We don't want to be loners anymore!"

He watched as Jack walked over to Pixie. "Now is that any way to ask a leader to join his Clan?" He scolded. Pixie glared at him defiantly, but she cast an uncertain glance at Ravenstar.

Ravenstar stared at the two loners. They had certainly helped the Clan in making Nia better, and finding them a guide to help them get to the other Clans. Just as he was about to answer, he was interrupted again.

"Please, Ravenstar! Please let them join. You have to let them!" Nia cried, jumping away from Caddie to stand next to Jack and Pixie. The two golden she-cats had become friends in the night while Nia was recovering in the Cave of Pointed Stones.

Ravenstar let out a _mrrow _of laughter. "Of course they can join, Nia. If it weren't for them, you wouldn't have recovered. They also appear to be loyal cats who can be trusted." Ravenstar looked at Jack and Pixie and nodded. "EchoClan would be honored to have you."

"Yay!" Pixie yowled in delight, clawing at Jack's pelt. "Did you hear that, Jack? We're Clan cats now!"

**XXX**

"We should be there within a day," Stormfur was meowing to Ravenstar as the cats finished up their fresh kill. They had all been traveling for a while now, and they were exhausted.

"Can we sleep now?" Moss called out from where he was sharing a mouse with his sister, Misty. "I'm so tired."

Misty nodded. "My paws feel like they're about to fall off. All those rocks on the mountains killed them!"

Pixie snorted. "You kitties are so soft! If you were born in the mountains, like me, your pads would have hardened with all the traveling and hunting that you'd do. You can't be _that_ tired."

Jack stared at Pixie with an expression of boredom. He sat down and wrapped his tail neatly around his paws. "Pixie," he meowed.

The silver eyed she-cat looked back at him. "What?"

"Shut up."

Moss purred with laughter. "Yeah, listen to him if you know what's good for you!"

Misty shoved her brother onto the ground. "Don't threaten her, you mouse-brain!"

Their other sister, Mint raced over to them. "Yeah, Moss! Two members of the same Clan don't threaten each other, quit being an arrogant fool!"

Aria was about to step in to try and control his kits, but Stormfur beat him to it. "What Mint says is true. Clan cats do not harm a member of their own Clan." He walked calmly over to the four quarrelling cats and separated them all a tail length apart. "If you want to fight, save it for when you're true apprentices and then you can practice battle training with your mentors. I don't want to see any of you fighting again for the rest of the journey, and if I do, the one responsible will be hunting for the whole Clan."

Not only the cats in trouble were staring at Stormfur with wide eyes. Nia cowered into her mother's side and let out a whimper. Stormfur turned to face the scared she-cat and his eyes softened. "I didn't mean to frighten you, young one, but in a Clan there are punishments for cats who break the rules."

Aria stared at his three kits. "I agree with Stormfur completely, and if you don't listen to him, there will be consequenses."

"I didn't even do anything," Mint muttered, stomping over to stand next to Precious. The golden she-cat looked down at Mint and smoothed her ruffled fur with her tail.

Stormfur walked back to the front of the group and looked at Ravenstar. "Sorry, I just can't stand young cats fighting. I didn't mean to ruffle every cats' fur."

Ravenstar nodded. "You handled them the way a true warrior would. These cats need to understand the rules of the warrior code. I'm glad to have you here, Stormfur."

Barley padded up to the two. "Ravenstar, can I talk to you?"

"Of course," Ravenstar mewed, walking with his friends and away from the other cats. "What's on your mind?"

Barley stared at his paws. "I'm not sure I'm fit to be your deputy," he confessed.

"What?" Ravenstar stared at his friend, astonished. "You're the perfect one to be deputy!"

His friend sighed. "I'm just getting too old, Ravenstar. I'm not saying I wont give it a shot, because I will. I'll be your deputy for as long as I can walk, but I don't ever see myself becoming leader. I may recieve nine lives, but even StarClan can't turn back time."

Ravenstar looked at his paws, understanding completely what Barley was saying. He scanned the area, looking at his Clan. He saw plenty of cats who could be deputy... in _time. _These cats still needed to be trained in the ways of the warrior code, not to mention Clan battle training. There is no way that Ravenstar would lead a Clan who fought simply like rogues and loners.

Sighing, the black tom looked at his old friend. He and Barley had been through a lot together, and he couldn't think of a better cat to have as deputy.

"Do you believe in StarClan, Barley?" He couldn't stop the question from slipping off his tongue.

"Yes," the black and white tom replied without hesitation, looking upward to stare at the sky.

Ravenstar looked at his paws. "How will they punish me?"

He heard Barley's shocked gasp, but didn't look up. "What do you mean, punish you, Ravenstar? You've done nothing wrong!"

"If I don't succeed in leading this Clan. If we all end up as a cluster of loners because the four original Clans don't accept us by the lake. If they think we're all a joke."

"StarClan doesn't punish; StarClan forgives. Why all of these sudden doubts, Ravenstar?"

"Not doubts. Just thoughts..." Ravenstar murmured.

He was sure ShadowClan wouldn't accept a fifth Clan. Unless they had gotten a new leader recently, and Blackstar was gone. The black tom shook his head. It was wrong to think of other leaders that way. If it came down to it, the Clans could vote. Ravenstar tried to even the votes in his head.

ThunderClan, definitley, if Firestar was still leader. Thinking about his friend possibly dead made Ravenstar shudder.

WindClan... There was no way Tallstar could still be alive, and if Mudclaw, his deputy, had taken over, they would most likely vote against the new Clan.

RiverClan. Leopardstar could be hostile at times, but she knew what was fair, and she would listen to Ravenstar and make a decision based on what was good for all the Clans.

ShadowClan. No. Blackstar was hostile toward most cats, and he wouldn't ever think of EchoClan as an actual Clan.

"What are you thinking about?" Barley asked quietly.

"Things that don't matter," Ravenstar mewed, half to himself. "Things that would only matter if all of those cats are still alive, and I have no way of knowing that until I get there to see for myself."

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**Hurray! Two chapters in a few days! I'm getting better at this, guys. (:**

**There's probably only going to be one more chapter to this story, and then an epilogue. But there's going to be a sequel coming out soon after! The description to that is on my profile, so check it out. **

**Also, thanks to Featherflight for reviewing that last chapter, and some of the chapters before it! (I'll take into consideration using Featherflight as a name!) I hope I get my old loyal reviewers back as well. But I understand if you've given up on this story because it took me 8 months to update. :x**

**If you've all read the allegiance, I'm changing up some of the warrior names. Seeing as Cinderheart (I've mentioned this in a previous chapter) is already used in the actual books, I'm changing his name to something different. I'm also changing Lani's warrior name, and Rowena's. I'm not sure if I'll be changing any of the other names, but I might be, so feel free to leave suggestions, as Featherflight did! (:**

**Thanks to all who read/review!**


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